The Annotated Milton: Complete English Poems (84 page)

1

   
Descend from Heav’n, Urania,
⁴¹⁰⁰
by that name

2

If rightly thou art called, whose voice divine

3

Following, above the Olympian hill I soar,

4

Above the flight of Pegasean
⁴¹⁰¹
wing!
⁴¹⁰²

5

The meaning, not the name, I call, for thou

6

Nor of the Muses nine, nor on the top

7

Of old Olympus, dwell’st, but Heav’nly-born,

8

Before the hills appeared, or fountain flowed,

9

Thou with eternal wisdom didst converse,
⁴¹⁰³

10

Wisdom thy sister, and with her did’st play

11

In presence of th’Almighty Father, pleased

12

With thy celestial song. Up led by thee

13

Into the Heav’n of Heav’ns I have presumed,

14

An earthly guest, and drawn
⁴¹⁰⁴
empyreal air,

15

Thy temp’ring.
⁴¹⁰⁵
With like safety guided down,

16

Return me to my native element,
⁴¹⁰⁶

17

Lest from this flying steed unreined (as once

18

Bellerophon, though from a lower clime)

19

Dismounted,
⁴¹⁰⁷
on the Aleian field
⁴¹⁰⁸
I fall,

20

Erroneous
⁴¹⁰⁹
there to wander, and forlorn.
⁴¹¹⁰

21

Half yet remains unsung, but narrower bound
⁴¹¹¹

22

Within the visible diurnal sphere:
⁴¹¹²

23

Standing on earth, not rapt
⁴¹¹³
above the pole,
⁴¹¹⁴

24

More safe I sing with mortal voice, unchanged

25

To hoarse or mute, though fall’n on evil days,

26

On evil days though fall’n, and evil tongues,

27

In darkness, and with dangers compassed round,
⁴¹¹⁵

28

And solitude. Yet not alone while thou

29

Visit’st my slumbers nightly, or when morn

30

Purples the east. Still govern thou my song,

31

Urania, and fit audience find, though few.

32

But drive far off the barbarous dissonance

33

Of Bacchus and his revellers, the race
⁴¹¹⁶

34

Of that wild rout that tore the Thracian bard
⁴¹¹⁷

35

In Rhodopé,
⁴¹¹⁸
where woods and rocks had ears

36

To rapture,
⁴¹¹⁹
till the savage clamor drowned

37

Both harp and voice. Nor could the Muse defend

38

Her son.
⁴¹²⁰
So fail not thou, who thee implores,

39

For thou art Heav’nly, she an empty dream.

40

   
Say, goddess, what ensued when Raphael,

41

The affable Arch-Angel, had forewarned

42

Adam, by dire example, to beware

43

Apostasy, by what befell
⁴¹²¹
in Heav’n

44

To those apostates, lest the like befall

45

In Paradise to Adam or his race,

46

Charged not to touch the interdicted tree,

47

If they transgress, and slight
⁴¹²²
that sole command,

48

So easily obeyed amid the choice

49

Of all tastes else to please their appetite,

50

Though wand’ring.
⁴¹²³
He with his consorted
⁴¹²⁴
Eve

51

The story heard, attentive, and was filled

52

With admiration
⁴¹²⁵
and deep muse
⁴¹²⁶
to hear

53

Of things so high
⁴¹²⁷
and strange
⁴¹²⁸
—things to their thought

54

So unimaginable, as hate in Heav’n,

55

And war so near the peace of God in bliss,

56

With such confusion,
⁴¹²⁹
but the evil, soon

57

Driv’n back, redounded
⁴¹³⁰
as a flood on those

58

From whom it sprung, impossible to mix

59

With blessedness. Whence Adam soon repealed
⁴¹³¹

60

The doubts that in his heart arose, and now

61

Led on, yet sinless, with desire to know

62

What nearer might concern him, how this world

63

Of Heav’n and earth conspicuous
⁴¹³²
first began,

64

When, and whereof created, for what cause,

65

What within Eden, or without, was done

66

Before his memory—as one whose drought

67

Yet scarce allayed, still eyes the current
⁴¹³³
stream,

68

Whose liquid murmur heard, new thirst excites,

69

Proceeded thus to ask his Heav’nly guest:

70

   
“Great things, and full of wonder in our ears,

71

Far differing from this world, thou hast revealed,

72

Divine interpreter!
⁴¹³⁴
by favor sent

73

Down from the empyrean, to forewarn

74

Us timely of what might else have been our loss,

75

Unknown, which human knowledge could not reach.

76

For which to the infinitely Good we owe

77

Immortal thanks, and His admonishment

78

Receive, with solemn purpose to observe

79

Immutably His sov’reign will, the end
⁴¹³⁵

80

Of what we are. But since thou hast vouchsafed
⁴¹³⁶

81

Gently,
⁴¹³⁷
for our instruction, to impart

82

Things above earthly thought, which yet concerned

83

Our knowing, as to highest wisdom seemed,

84

Deign to descend now lower, and relate

85

What may no less perhaps avail us, known,

86

How first began this Heav’n which we behold

87

Distant so high, with moving fires adorned

88

Innumerable, and this which yields or fills

89

All space, the ambient
⁴¹³⁸
air wide interfused
⁴¹³⁹

90

Embracing round this florid
⁴¹⁴⁰
earth. What cause