Jaroslav Vrchlický

“ Drew the dark clouds that have hovered
Over Roderigo's forehead.
Pestilence is further spreading,
People rebel more than ever,
And rush, full strength toward the castle
All demanding in a body
To console the angry heavens,
That at stake burns Satanella,
Whose blaspheme against Madonna
And against the bishop's monstrance
Brought the plague upon the island. ”

“ People shouting, noisy discourse
'twixt the tambourine and cymbal.
Like a lily twig, her body,
In her eyes a flame of lightning
Slender limbs in dancing, twirling
Like a leaf, when stirred by breezes. ”

“ Tremble lovers' lips with kisses.
Midnight onward floats in silence,
Sleeps the grove, the hills are dormant,
Rests the brook, each bird is dreaming.
Quiet, quiet. . . . Like an echo
Floats love's breath into the distance. ”

“ But a maid, eyes closed demurely
In a joyous, glad confusion.
Tender lips that were but segments
Of pale leaves of briar roses,
Now have opened in full blossom
For whose heavy, toxic nectar
One could die with endless yearning. ”

“ No I know not if the plague-bird
Of his flight will change direction
Hot the wind . . . the sun grows crimson
All in yellow fog . . . enfolded.
Booming drums and blaring trumpets,
Throngs are marching toward the ruins. . . . ”

“ Ivy grows from every crevice,
On the battlement, a hawthorne
And a rug of mossy verdure.
Grass between the stones has settled:
Downward hang dark blades so tender,
Playthings of the blowing breezes
As a woman's flowing tresses. ”

“ Gypsies' reddish cloaks are gathered,
Near the fires sit the women,
While the men sit, freely scattered
On the boulders, partly dreaming:
Time to time their heads go nodding
To the tune ... then weave more fancies. ”

“ With his shining golden feathers.
Higher, higher, she kept climbing
From one mountain to another
From one wall she scaled another,
With an ever rising laughter,
Like a butterfly escaping
When a meddling boy he teases. ”

“ And deprived of shield and sabre.
At the same time, Satanella
Fettered is without resistance.
But new terror grips the people,
Listen to their dreadful shouting:
"Woe to us, the plague's upon us." ”

“ In the other group, of which Vrchlicky may be taken as an outstanding representative we find much of cosmopolitan, world-wide nature, a poet's yearning for truth and beauty, a poet's quest for the Ultimate. It is the latter form of reflective, philosophic poetry that really unites the Czech poetry with that of the other world's poets, and which also shows the immense influence of German, French, Italian and English thought and literature upon that of the Czech thinkers . ”

“ With an all observing vision,
Long, long while the prelate gazes
At the Satan . . . and what sees he?
As the moon stole higher, higher,
Animated seems the Satan,
Wrinkling up his cloudy forehead. ”

“ As she leans o'er baby's cradle.
And it sounds like winds abreathing
As they slumber in the blossoms,
Or relate their olden fables
'twixt the bull rush in the moonlight.
About life sings faithful comrade ”

“ About life sings faithful comrade;
Sings about soul's youthful dreaming,
Sings of yearning, futile wishes,
Of young days so often squandered,
Sings of life, when all its flowers
Have been singed by flames of passion. ”

“ Shame, disgrace and meek submission,
All are struggling in his features.
In his eyes coarse sneer, ill-hidden.
With his other hand he raises
Heavy shield with eight sharp edges,
Armor 'gainst the angel's lightning. ”

“ Spread he 'fore him in confusion
As he flew from Ural mountains
To Byzantium with tempests.
On the shores of Asia Minor
Many cities stand deserted,
Ships are rotting in the harbors,
In the streets rot human bodies. ”

“ Vainly thrice-strong guards are stationed
Fore the gates and cross the pathways.
Futile care . . . before the third day
With night's shadows lost its battle,
New born daughter also vanished. . . . ”

“ In concluding this bit of personal reflection let me anticipate my Czech critics' censure, and assure them that I am fully aware that there are many works of Vrchlicky that are more typical of the man, and perhaps even better examples of his genius. ”

“ As he struggles in a battle
With St. Michael, the archangel. . . .
And these features were a wonder.
But its masterful creator
Lived not long. . . . Paid daily visit
To behold his last creation,
Stood before it meditating,
Wept aloud for hours . . . hours . . . ”