49. (Conceits, 31.) A youth once lov'd me, and his love I spurn'd. (Anon.) 50. (Conceits, 48.) Beneath love's heavy weight my falt'ring soul Plods, like the packman, o'er life's dusty road. Oh! that some friendly hand would find a pole To ease my shoulders of their grievous load! (Anon.) The Robe of Feathers. DRAMATIS PERSONE. A FAIRY. A FISHERMAN, THE CHORUS. SCENE.-The shore of Miho, in the province of Suruga, near the base of Fusiyama. [The piece opens with a long recitative in which the Fisherman and the Chorus describe the beauties of Miho's pine-clad shore at dawn in spring. The passage is a beautiful one; but, after several efforts at reproducing it in an English form, the translator has had to abandon the task as impossible. At the conclusion of this recitative the Fisherman steps on shore, and the action of the piece then commences as follows: +—] Fisherman. As I land on Miho's pine-clad shore and gaze around me, flowers come fluttering down Pronounced like the Italian word mio. The end of the poetical opening of the piece is perhaps fairly rendered by the following lines : But hark! methought I saw the storm-clouds flying And heard the tempest rave: Come, fishermen! come homeward plying !— But uo! no tempest frets the wave: "Tis spring! 'tis spring! 'twas but the morning breeze, No murmur rises from th' unruffled seas, No storm disturbs the thronging boatmen's song! |