And brought it to the Libyan fields
And scattered it into deep ravines
And on the lofty mountain lawns.

A new blood filled the herbs,
And even the strong-stemmed plants
Waxed stronger.
Men war-glad are risen!
And the waterfalls roar
In the mountain's heart;
Men war-glad are risen
Like diamonds rare to behold
That the earth begets!

You know them, heights, winds, horizons,
High tides and murmurings of restless waters,
Golden fountains, that shall become
Their crowns!
And you, O gold-built mountain passes,
Castles fit for them, you know them;
Their fame, thou heraldest with pride
From thy verdant distant country
To Europe Imperial,
O Africa, O slave unknown!

And first of all thou knowest,
O heartless tamer of continents and races,
Rider of Ocean's Bucephaluses,
Thou knowest the worth of the few,
Who dare live free ...

Within the limits of a general introduction it would be difficult to
enter every nook and corner of the poet's world. We must even pass over
some of the most potent influences of his life. The national dreams of
the Modern Greeks have a splendid dwelling in the thought of Palamas,
who follows with restlessness his people's woes and exults in their
joys. A group of poems dedicated to the "Land that Rose in Arms" and
published in the last volume of the poet's work, the _Town and
Wilderness_, form his noblest patriotic expression. The present
world-conflict has naturally stirred him to new compositions, of which
his "Europe" is preeminently noteworthy as illustrating faithfully the
various aspects of the poet's genius. This poem appeared first in the
_Noumas_, an Athenian periodical, and was then published in the last
volume of the poet's works, the _Altars_.[2]

EUROPE

I. THE WAR

Deer-like the East pants terror-struck! The West,
A flame ablaze that leaps amid the skies!
Nations are wolves! and Hatreds are afoot,
Whetting their bayonets!

With force gigantic, lo, the bursting forth
Of the barbarian sweeps on, age-wrought;
Oceans are cleft and swallow Gorgon-ships,
Castles of might afloat!

What sorcerers, in Earth's deep bosom buried,
Beat into shape the metal? For what kings
Slave they? What crowns forge they? The tower-ships,
The ports, the oceans quake!

Lovingly the dream born of dream flies high
Air wande