Page:TheBirth of the War-God.djvu/27

Rh Father of fathers, God of gods art thou, Creator, highest, hearer of the vow! Thou art the sacrifice, and Thou the priest, Thou, he that eateth—Thou, the holy feast; Thou art the knowledge which by Thee is taught, The mighty thinker, and the highest thought!"

Pleased with their truthful praise, his favouring eye He turned upon the Dwellers in the Sky, While from four mouths his words in gentle flow Come welling softly to assuage their woe:— "Welcome! glad welcome, princes! ye who hold Your lofty sovereignties ordained of old— But why so mournful? what has dimmed your light? Why shine your faces less divinely bright? Like stars that pour forth weaker, paler gleams. When the fair Moon with brighter radiance beams. say, in vain doth mighty bear The thunderbolt of Heaven, unused to spare?, the furious fiend, 'twas strong to slay. Why dull and blunted are its darts to-day? See,  noose hangs idly on his arm. Like some fell serpent quelled by magic charm; Weak is  hand—his arm no more Wields the dread mace it once so proudly bore; But like a tree whose boughs are lopped away, It tells of piercing woe, and dire dismay. In days of yore how  sceptre shone! Fled are its glories, all its terrors gone; Despised and useless as a quenched brand All idly now it marks the yielding sand.