A GLEAM -- a gleam -- from Ida's height,
By the Fire-god sent, it came;
From watch to watch it leapt, that light,
As a rider rode the flame!
It shot through the startled sky,
And the torch of that blazing glory
Old Lemnos caught on high,
On its holy promontory,
And sent it on, the jocund sign,
To Athos, Mount of Jove divine.
Wildly the while, it rose from the isle,
So that the might of the journeying Light
Skimmed over the back of the gleaming brine!
Farther and faster speeds it on,
Till the watch that keeps Macistus steep
See it burst like a blazing Sun!
Doth Macistus sleep
On his tower-clad steep?
No! rapid and red doth the wild fire sweep;
It flashes afar on the wayward stream
Of the wild Euripus, the rushing beam!
It rouses the light on Messapion's height,
And they feed its breath with the withered heath.
But it may not stay!
And away -- away --
It bounds in its freshening might.
Silent and soon,
Like a broadened moon,
It passes in sheen, Asopus green,
And bursts on Cithaeron gray!
The warder wakes to the Signal-rays,
And it swoops from the hill with a broader blaze.
On, on the fiery Glory rode;
Thy lonely lake, Gorgopis, glowed!
To Megara's Mount it came;
They feed it again
And it streams amain--
A giant beard of Flame!
The headland cliffs that darkly down
O'er the Saronic waters frown,
Are passed with the Swift One's lurid stride,
And the huge rock glares on the glaring tide.
With mightier march and fiercer power
It gained Arachne's neighboring tower;
Thence on our Argive roof its rest it won,
Of Ida's fire the long-descended Son!
Bright Harbinger of glory and of joy!
So first and last with equal honor crowned,
In solemn feasts the race-torch circles round. --
And these my heralds! -- this my SIGN OF PEACE;
Lo! while we breathe, the victor lords of Greece
Stalk, in stern tumult, through the halls of Troy!
Signal-rays! ! ! ! As a rider rode the the flame! Thanks for sharing this poem with us.
A Classical Poem of Greece inspires like fire even for reading it! Such a power in words the Poet exerts on readers! Thanks for sharing this great Poem here!
The Beacon Fires by Aeschylus, world famous ancient Classic Poem Of The Day. True patriotic, tragic and yet with such a powerful BEAUTY! . Tragedies, an up-to-date fashion in poems in those days. Marvelous!
My long complete and cute response had gone to..........I dunno whereto? Rest these simple lines non heroic about this heroic world famous poem, I am verty very sad to have experienced this once again
Congratulations for the excellent choice. The Classic Poem Of The Day! A very patriotic ancient poem as well as very tragic ancient poem. Most deserving!
And these my heralds! - this my SIGN OF PEACE; Lo! while we breathe, the victor lords of Greece Stalk, in stern tumult, through the halls of Troy! very fine poem. t ony
A captivating and inspiring account of a historical event in Greece. A deserving classic poem of the day.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Interesting CLASSIC...