Whither, Bacchus, tear'st thou me,
Fill'd with thy strength? What dens, what forests these,
Thus in wildering race I see?
What cave shall hearken to my melodies,
Tuned to tell of Caesar's praise
- And
- throne him high the heavenly ranks among? Sweet and strange shall be my lays,
A tale till now by poet voice unsung.
As the Evian on the height,
Housed from her sleep, looks wonderingly abroad,
Looks on Thrace with snow-drifts white,
- And
- Rhodope by barbarous footstep trod, So my truant eyes admire
- The
- banks, the desolate forests. O great King Who the Naiads dost inspire,
- And
- Bacchants, strong from earth huge trees to wring! Not a lowly strain is mine,
No mere man's utterance. O, 'tis venture sweet
Thee to follow, God of wine,
Making the vine-branch round thy temples meet!