The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

Name: The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)
Author: Wordsworth, William

Wordsworth, William

English poetry -- 18th century; English poetry -- 19th century

O, for a kindling touch from that pure flame
    Which ministered, erewhile, to a sacrifice
    Of gratitude, beneath Italian skies,
    In words like these: "Up, Voice of Song! proclaim
    Thy saintly rapture with celestial aim:                        5
    For lo! the Imperial City stands released[163]
    From bondage threatened by the embattled East,
    And Christendom respires;[164] from guilt and shame
    Redeemed, from miserable fear set free
    By one day's feat, one mighty victory.                        10
    --Chant the Deliverer's praise in every tongue!
    The cross shall spread, the crescent hath waxed dim;
    He conquering, as in joyful Heaven is sung,[165]
    HE CONQUERING THROUGH GOD, AND GOD BY HIM." [BW]

VARIANTS:

[Footnote BV: 1816.

The title at first was _February 1816_.--ED.]

[Footnote 163: 1837.

    ... touch of that pure flame
    Which taught the offering of song to rise
    From thy lone bower, beneath Italian skies,
    Great Filicaia!--With celestial aim
    It rose,--thy saintly rapture to proclaim,
    Then, when the imperial city stood released                 1816.
]

[Footnote 164: 1837.

    ... respired; ...                                           1816.
]

[Footnote 165: 1837.

    ... --as in Earth and Heaven was sung--                     1816.
]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote BW:

    Ond' è ch' Io grido e griderò: giugnesti,
    Guerregiasti, e vincesti;
    Si, si, vincesti, o Campion forte e pio,
    _Per Dio vincesti, e per te vinse Iddio_.

See Filicaia's Canzone, addressed to (Sir) John Sobieski, king of
Poland, upon his raising the siege of Vienna. This, and his other poems
on the same occasion, are superior perhaps to any lyrical pieces that
contemporary events have ever given birth to, those of the Hebrew
Scriptures only excepted.--W. W. (1816 and 1820.)

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)Wordsworth, William

General

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

Wordsworth, William

English poetry -- 18th century; English poetry -- 19th century

O, for a kindling touch from that pure flame
    Which ministered, erewhile, to a sacrifice
    Of gratitude, beneath Italian skies,
    In words like these: "Up, Voice of Song! proclaim
    Thy saintly rapture with celestial aim:                        5
    For lo! the Imperial City stands released[163]
    From bondage threatened by the embattled East,
    And Christendom respires;[164] from guilt and shame
    Redeemed, from miserable fear set free
    By one day's feat, one mighty victory.                        10
    --Chant the Deliverer's praise in every tongue!
    The cross shall spread, the crescent hath waxed dim;
    He conquering, as in joyful Heaven is sung,[165]
    HE CONQUERING THROUGH GOD, AND GOD BY HIM." [BW]

VARIANTS:

[Footnote BV: 1816.

The title at first was _February 1816_.--ED.]

[Footnote 163: 1837.

    ... touch of that pure flame
    Which taught the offering of song to rise
    From thy lone bower, beneath Italian skies,
    Great Filicaia!--With celestial aim
    It rose,--thy saintly rapture to proclaim,
    Then, when the imperial city stood released                 1816.
]

[Footnote 164: 1837.

    ... respired; ...                                           1816.
]

[Footnote 165: 1837.

    ... --as in Earth and Heaven was sung--                     1816.
]

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote BW:

    Ond' è ch' Io grido e griderò: giugnesti,
    Guerregiasti, e vincesti;
    Si, si, vincesti, o Campion forte e pio,
    _Per Dio vincesti, e per te vinse Iddio_.

See Filicaia's Canzone, addressed to (Sir) John Sobieski, king of
Poland, upon his raising the siege of Vienna. This, and his other poems
on the same occasion, are superior perhaps to any lyrical pieces that
contemporary events have ever given birth to, those of the Hebrew
Scriptures only excepted.--W. W. (1816 and 1820.)

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth — Volume 6 (of 8)

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