Ritmennt - 01.01.2000, Side 146

ANDREW WAWN
RITMENNT
Methought, they let a wondrous stage arise,
Whose moving scenes yet wave before my eyes.—
There saw I Britains deathless sons to stand,
That gain'd immortal honor for their land
And in the crown of Earth shall ever light,
Ev'n as the twinkling stars in dusky night.—
There saw I him42 in wisdoms lustre fair,
Renown'd in peace, he won, unmatch'd in war,
Whom Heav'n invested with great Scipio's parts
World's fate intrusting to his godlilce arts. 70
The hero's sword was hanging by his side,
The fence of mankind, and Britannia's pride
That o'erthrew Bonaparte's43 and Timur's44 thrones,
And, like some god, restor'd the kings their crowns,
O heaven-made45 sword, how is thy witchcraft blest
In thee was hidden Europe's longed rest!
Retire, my muse, nor touch so bold a strain,
Return, poor numbers! from this glorious plain,
Return from hero whorn immortal lays,
And songs, like Pope's46, or Addison's47 should praise: 80
Though such exploits need not the aid of rhymes,
They shine and glister in the farthest climes
His praises found in Du'ros whirling stream48
And Indus's49 billows roar50 Sir Arthur's51 name.—
42 Frekara lof um hertogann af Wellington.
43 Ljóð Lárusar sýnir engin mcrki þeirrar aðdáunar á Napolcon sem kemur fram
hjá að minnsta kosti einum öðrum íbúa á Bessastöðum á þriðja áratugnum -
Þorgrími Thomsen, föður Gríms (sjá Sveinn Yngvi Egilsson, Arfur og umbylt-
ing, bls. 208; almennara bls. 223-41).
44 Tamberlainc mildi eða Timur Leng (1336-1405). Tilvísunin til nítjándu aldar er óljós.
45 „born" er ritað fyrir ofan línuna.
46 Alexander Pope (1688-1744), enskt skáld. Um viðtökur Popes á íslandi sjá Richard
Beck, /ón I’orláksson, Icelandic translator of Pope and Milton-, Sigurður Stefáns-
son, fón Porláksson, þjóðskáld íslendinga, bls. 143-53; Aðalgeir Kristjánsson og
Eiríkur Þormóðsson: Sveinbjörn Egilsson: Bréf til Bjama Þorsteinssonar.
47 Joseph Addison (1672-1719), enskt skáld og ritgerðahöfundur. Um þekkingu
Jónasar Hallgrímssonar á Addison, sjá Ritverk fónasar Hallgrímssonar I, bls.
145-46 og IV, bls. 164.
48 Fljótið Duoro í Portúgal. Tilvísun til sigra Wcllingtons í styrjöldunum á
Spánarskaga eftir 1808.
49 Fljótið Indus á Indlandi.
50 „speak" ritað fyrir ofan línuna.
51 Arthur Wellesley, hertogi af Wellington (1769-1852).
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