The Division of the Earth

Spake Jove to mortals, from his hights supernal,
     "Receive the world henceforth to be your care, 
To hold in fee an heritage eternal—
     Yet each with others kindly share."
Then, who with hands to seize his portion, hastened;
     In young and old a stirring life awoke.
On the field's fruits the ready farmer fastened;
     The lordlings through the forest broke;
The merchant piled his garners to their ridges;
     The abbot choose the rich Falernian wine;
The king laid barriers on the roads and bridges,
     Saying, "the tenth is mine."
Approaching late, when long was ceased the sharing,
     The poet forth from farther distance came.
Ah, over all was nothing seen, but bearing, 
     It's brand, a master's name.
"Woe, then, alas! shall I of all men only
     Forgotten be, who am thy truest son."
Aloud he cried in lamentations lonely, 
     And bowed himself at Zeus' throne.
"If thou hast made in dreamland thy abiding,"
     Replied the god, "then murmur not at me;
Where wort thou lingering at the world's dividing?'
     "I was," the poet said, "with thee.
Hang on thy radiant face my tranced vision,
     And on thy heaven's harmonions songs, mine ear.
Forgive the soul who, drunk with beams Elysian, 
     Hath lost the light of th' earthly sphere."
“What deed!" said Jove, "the world is from me given,
     Vintage and chase and fields no more are mine
But wouldst thou, poet, live with me in heaven, 
     Oft as thou comest shall its joys be thine.”