The Albatross

Derived from the poem l’Albatros by Charles Baudelaire

by Mike Horvitz

(For Gerald J. Butler)

 

As if some new delight discovered

  Emboldened seafarers while at sea

An albatross from heaven recovered

  An ocean’s giant trapped suddenly

Lazily did it chance to follow

  Its earthly sea-bound companion craft

Its cries now ringing sadly hollow

  As men with their implements coax it aft

 

Never quite earthbound this noble creature

  Mighty prince of our firmament

Afflicted with this unbefitting feature

  Now hobbles pride-shorn in mournful lament

White sails carried high on bright daylight blue

  With unfettered grandeur so well possessed

Great wings; now they drag, so painful to view

  Oar-like, pathetic, as if by curse regressed

 

Voyager of sky's domain, one moment he, a king,

  Then, lesser men by force inflame the rowdy mob

Display him as weak and a cumbersome poor thing

  Ignoring his beauty, belittling his beak with an old pipe cob

Laughing and belching in cowards’ raucous glee

  Do they harass and mimic his weakened state

As if by capturing, controlling he of glory

  Transfers to fools those qualities which make him great

 

Magnificent creature, ruler of untamed sky

  His cousin here on earth, the poet does he emulate

Enchanted, elated by tempests of soul, air and eye

  The common hunter of sport still can’t of him emasculate

And even when trapped and trammeled by ordinary men

  Who cannot distinguish true greatness from success by gun or bow

Still, though your wings of splendor be thus weighed upon then,

  The rest of us may hope to rise to that genius you did bestow.



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