that day when I thy deeds may celebrate,ever that day when through the whole wide worldI may renown thy verse—that verse aloneof Sophoclean buskin worthy found?With thee began, to thee shall end, the strain.Take thou these songs that owe their birth to thee,and deign around thy temples to let creepthis ivy-chaplet 'twixt the conquering bays.Scarce had night's chilly shade forsook the skywhat time to nibbling sheep the dewy grasstastes sweetest, when, on his smooth shepherd-staffof olive leaning, Damon thus began.DAMON“Rise, Lucifer, and, heralding the light,bring in the genial day, while I make moanfooled by vain passion for a faithless bride,for Nysa, and with this my dying breathcall on the gods, though little it bestead—the gods who heard her vows and heeded not.‘Begin, my flute, with me Maenalian lays.’Ever hath Maenalus his murmuring groves