Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, TO HIS FRIEND IN ELYSIUM, by JOACHIM DU BELLAY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

TO HIS FRIEND IN ELYSIUM, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: So long you wandered on the dusky plain
Last Line: About the gate, or labor at the oar.
Alternate Author Name(s): Du Bellay, Joachim
Subject(s): Wandering & Wanderers; Wanderlust; Vagabonds; Tramps; Hoboes


SO long you wandered on the dusky plain,
Where flit the shadows with their endless cry,
You reach the shore where all the world goes by,
You leave the strife, the slavery, the pain;
But we, but we, the mortals that remain
In vain stretch hands; for Charon sullenly
Drives us afar, we may not come anigh
Till that last mystic obolus we gain.
But you are happy in the quiet place,
And with the learned lovers of old days,
And with your love, you wander evermore
In the dim woods, and drink forgetfulness
Of us your friends, a weary crowd that press
About the gate, or labor at the oar.





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