by Luis G. Dato
Your majesty, to tune my unused lyre
In praise of your supernal virtues is not meet,
Your graces need of rhapsodies more sweet
That mine, which is rich only in desire
But not in poor your loveliness to chant,
The charm and wonder of your radiant face,
Your heart, that treasure-house of grace,
Wherein our eyes behold no hidden want.
That you may live when all have turned to dust,
Ah, other pens and other lips than mine,
May do full justice and your charms divine,
Therefore in your complacence I but trust.
Who having eyes that see and hearts that love,
In your lips not recall the flowers’ caress,
Or our dark eyes, those pools of loveliness
Compare bot to the radiant stars above.
To such as you, since old times men have found
Muse for their poetry, theme for song
And art, philosophy; ambition strong
For power and glory with your name is bound,
Therefore, O majesty, whose brow we crown,
With beauty’s crown and our heart’s reverence,
May you reign long, and your omnipotence,
Resound in bliss for this land you would own.
Our worship of the fair has its sweet uses,
For Chivalry end Courtesy far long thought dead,
At sight of pulchritude will rear their heed,
And Chaos cease beholding the sweet Muses,
And this is older far than law or time,
Survive Democracy which it saw born,
The fair will reign though all gods be foresworn,
And for her Man aspire with deeds sublime.
The world is not one world, but in truth two,.
One is a world of light, the other gloom,
Of victory the one, the other doom,
With mingled hope and dread these worlds we view,
But always one consoles for life’s exile,
And always one inspires to striving dear,
With memory of the fair face far or near,
All griefs dissolve in radiance of her smile.
So may you reign in Memory and Mind,
On this sad earth a fair dispenser be
Of romance and the true felicity,
That fairer green elsewhere we may not find,
That filled with blessings for your people all,
Your name forever linger on their lips,
As name that will other names eclipse
And your fame stay when all of earth shall fall.
