The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-03-29
Exws. Aru.Ids Minor r..w..

In the St.Tet ~ Dfnih ,Iioberts Brothers)
Mr. EDWIN ARNOLD has collected for Amsri-
can readers some Of his shorter poems not
hitherto published In this country. The volume
includes TRANSACTIONS from the Sanskrit. tho
Latin. the italian. and the French. fray
ments OF narrative. pastorals. experiments
In ballad. poetry. lyrics. inonodies a few
sonnets. and = number Of short epixraphs
These COMPOSITIONS are Of various dates
some having been written thirty years ago
not long after the author loft Oxford. others
seem to 30 survivors Of his undergradu-
ate career: others. again. are "reminiscences
Of the Indian studies which bore such excellent
fruit In The Light OF Asia" and others.
finally. were called forth by quite recent incl
dents. Taken all together. they illustrate tho
range OF Mr.. Arnold's cultsrs. the fervor and
sincerity Of his sympathies with what Is high
In thought and generous In feeling. and his
mastery Of graceful and pleasing verse.
Whether Mr.. Edwin Arnold be a true poet or
not 10. We know. ore Of the questions by which
tho expoundsrs Of q wire-drawn and esoteric
criticism-ospeciallyt they who have essayed to
produce poetry OF their own-assums to single
out themselves from unaccredited intrudsrs on
the critical Zion. But those to whom Mr.. Arnold
has given pleasure OF an slevating and delight
full kind can afford to leave the question in
uuoyhuCo uutlt npNuo OHO Cuu SuCcbeu III pTO-
pounding definition Of poetry that will COM
mand general acceptance Even II we were
willing to admit that the charm of Mr. Arnold's
work could. in respect OF his point OF view and
OF his methods OF expression. be proved by ul-
innate analysis identical with that impaired
by exquisite prose and essentially dis
tnct from the right poetic attitude and
medium. We should have to acknowledge
that the same thing may be said OF Horace of
Juvenal. OF Moliere and Malherbe. OF Dryden.
Pope. Goldsmith and a multitude Of English
versi!lers, whose titles to tho name oftpoet only
the most rigid sticHlers for inical exactitude
in the use OF language controvert. To US such
disputes about nomenclature seem rs futile as
to wrangs over the right name OF & wine which
comnlsnds itself at once to the stomach and
the palate. being OF sound body delicate flavor.
and delectabls aroma. What does it mattor.
after all. whether in Tho Light oi Asin." and
some OF the productions in this volume. wo
have poetry that will satisfy tho most eXactng
definition. or merely verses Of an admirable
cleverness. so long as the author knows how to
stimulate the intellect and touch the heart
The Secret OF Death" Is a metrical para
phrase OF n memorable passage in the Upan-
ishad In which Death is represented as i'm
parting to the son OF Gautama the truth about
immortality. the secret OF the life beyond the
terestinR to American readers because a short
excerpt from II was somewhat loosely repro
duc0d by Emerson in the familiar lines begin
ming. II the red slayer thinks he Stays" Mr..
ArnoidS translation makes 1t plain that pam
theism was no original speculation OF the
Buddhist reformer. but that it lay at the core
OF the elder Brghmanc faith. and was merely
overlaid with the tribal poytheisms of tho non.
Aryan races OF India. just rs the fundamental
creed Of Buddhism itself has been encrusted
and half e1acsd among its Sinmese. Thibetan.
Japanese. and Chinese proseytes. This was
the teaching which. us the author tells us. he
received from Brahman priest whom he had
bslsought to toll him what Brahma Is:
h. who Sl"ns undnerehced. unites
Es! a rs ssHs snds whrR ses
j. Brahnal May he xive ur light TO know.
.u "a u s..ssss sn'lh wa ss s"1 a dr.:
rrssap S9 s ais S,s IL: weH ; WV" TIC "'e
r. s,,: Ss%.t?Ta; The SMSs!fa ancient cropped
1ns black bee bee, and nd The ,,ssI and the n.h
II: Sss wh It'd It'd ins
ins season. and iSe seas! b Him they are,
In Him begin and end.
A little later In the same poem We como on
more literal translation than Emerson's Of the
excerpt before alluded to:
Now - the next verse FAMOUS. MARX " well wv
Tbs utmost secret OF thy scroll lies hero.
sss s ISa S e sS II: S she'll
Moreover, in the song ~ jOl lin set
Aud snineih IN the swetAswatagAl
Then follows the version OF tho passage
which. II is to be remembered. is put into the
mouth OF Death:
II he that E.ayeth thinks IL slsy;" II he
Whom he doth aAy thinks am sluin," then both
Know mol aIi ght That which WAS hfs IN each
Cannot be slain sAyl
The untouched Soul.
Greater than all the worlds (b.raus. the worlds
BY II suhsist); smaller than subtlvtiss.
OF things ntnutvst last al ultiulates
SITE in the hoOw heart OF uil that Invest
Whose hath aid aside desire aud fear,
His senses mastered, and his spirit still.
sees In tho quiet light OF verify
Eternal safe. malesiicAl-his SOUL
Resting. II ranges svcrywherel asleep,
roaiis the world. unslsepingi Who, save ].
Know that diyinest spirit ne II IL,
Glad bsyopd Joy existing outsids lBsf
Bshol!thg II IN bodies Oodilets
Amid u,pernA nsncy perm Ausnt;