The happiest day — the happiest hour
My sear'd and blighted heart hath known,
The highest hope of pride and power,
I feel hath flown.
Of power! said I? yes! such I ween;
But they have vanish'd long, alas!
The visions of my youth have been-
But let them pass.
And, pride, what have I now with thee?
Another brow may even inherit
The venom thou hast pour'd on me
Be still, my spirit!
The happiest day — the happiest hour
Mine eyes shall see — have ever seen,
The brightest glance of pride and power,
I feel- have been:
But were that hope of pride and power
Now offer'd with the pain
Even then I felt — that brightest hour
I would not live again:
For on its wing was dark alloy,
And, as it flutter'd — fell
An essence — powerful to destroy
A soul that knew it well.
Najsrećniji dan
Najsrećniji dan – najsrećniji sati,
koje još moje srce svelo pamti
uzvišena nada snage i gordosti
osjećam se krasno ali odleti.
O snaga!Rekoh li?da! tako bar mislim;
vaj! sad su sve ta osjećanja daleka!
Ti prividi bjehu u danima milim –
nek prolaze, pustite ih neka.
Hej, gordosti, kakva to spaja nas sila?
Nek se odsad tuđa čela guše
pod otrovom koji si na mene slila –
smiri se, seni moje duše!
Najsrećniji dan – najsrećniji sati
koje predosjećam – kojih se sjećam,
i najdraži bljesak gordosti i snage,
prošli su, osjećam.
Al’ kad bi ta nada gordosti i snage
vratila se s bolom koji duša ova
spozna još onda – ne bih čase drage
doživio snova!
Jer na njeno krilo sve je tmurnije
dok je lepršalo – pade
neka bit dovoljno jaka da ubije
dušu što je dobro znade.