Bombyx! to have more life than is enough To win the mate, achieve the one success, And on that life to mount and half survey The universe-- Build cities with it, letter precious scrolls, Plan for the race to be and have the vision To labor for of ages half elysian, Is that a benediction or a curse? Is it a good or evil to have strength To soar beyond the sun, or planets even If none of us at length Reach heaven? If none of our infatuate souls Sip the bright fire of God? If it be all a flying in a dream, A lying down at last in deeper night, To enrich the prodigal sod, To breed new wings For the same flight? THE APOLOGY OF DEMETRIUS Hyacinthus, your money, the idol you ordered isfinished. May the grace of Diana be with you in strength undiminished. Behold how the breast of it glitters, as if it were wrought in with stipples. The Ephesian goddess is nature and these are her bountiful nipples. So then do I fear for my trade? No, never! It’s past my conceiving. There’ll be work for the artist while gods change to win our believing. Come on then, you babblers and madmen from Jewry and tell us and show us-- Yes, come with your tumult the like of which never was known in Corinth or Troas. They crowd in the markets and temples and gabble a story that palters. Well, I whistle and hammer the silver, a maker of statues and altars. Who says I am wroth lest in Samothrace, Lystra and Delos The craft of the maker of images fail through the speech of these fellows? And the temple of Artemis perish? Oh, well, however they hate us Can they burn it as once it was burned by the wretch Herostratus? But we built it again and carved it all newly in beauty and wonder-- Destroy it, oh man, who was crazed by lightning and roaring of thunder! Oh virgin Diana, if virgin, what virgin whose altar is older! If matron what breasts hang with milk for the eyes of her temples’ beholder! For centuries gone--when these Jews prayed to serpents of bronze and calves that were golden In Ephesus, Arcady, Athens, our reverent love was beholden To the goddess of prophecy, music, the lyre, of light, inspiration, Who guarded and watches the city and lays the foundation Of nations and laws. What works we have done, yea still we would heed her-- And look at your barbarous ark in your temple of jewels and cedar! What is our pollution, our idols, our sacrificed things which are strangled? I ask you already divided in turbulent parties who wrangled Concerning salvation of God to the faith of the uncircumcision In Cyprus and Paphos, where poets of love keep the Hellenic vision.