POEMS and BALLADS S ECOND and T H IRD S ERIES 45 0 Copies of [Big Boob Il a V E Been P Rin Ted on V a N G Elder B a N D- M a D E P Ap Er a N D [Be Lygﬂ E

Home , Higher Than Hope

POEMS AND BALLADS S ECOND AND T H IRD S ERIES 45 0 copies of [big boob Il a v e been p rin ted on V a n G elder b a n d- m a d e p ap er a n d [be lygﬂ e

distribu ted .

C O N T E N T S

PREFACE

: POEMS AND BALLADS S ECOND S ERIE S .

THE L AST ORACLE IN THE BAY A FORSAKEN GARDEN RELICS AT A MONTH ’ S END SESTINA THE YEAR OF THE ROSE A WASTED VIGI L THE COMPLAINT OF LISA FOR THE FEAST OF GIORDANO BRUNO AV E ATQy E VALE MEMORIAL VERSES ON THE DEATH OF TH E O P H I L E GAUTIER SONNET (WITH A COPY OF MAD E MOI S E L L E D E MAUP I N ) AGE AND S ONG (TO BARRY CO RN WALL ) IN MEMO RY OF BARRY CORNWALL EPICEDE TO VICTO R HUGO INFERIAE C O N T E N T S PAG E

A BIRTH -SONG E x -VOTO A BALLAD OF DREAM LAND CYRIL TOURNEU R A BALLAD OF FRAN COIS VI LLON PAST I GI I E BEFO RE SUNSET SON G A VISION OF S PRING IN WINTER

C II O R I AMB I C S AT PARTING A SONG IN S EASON T WO LEADERS VICTO R HUGO IN 1 8 7 7 ’ C II I L D S SONG T RIADS FOU R SONGS OF FOU R SEASONS

NO R T I IUMB E R L AN D I . W INTE R IN

I I . SPRING IN TUSCANY

II I . SUMMER IN AUVE RGNE

I V . AUTUMN IN CO RNWALL TH E W H ITE C Z AR

R I Z PAI—I TO LOUIS KOSSUTH TRANS LATIONS FROM TIIE F R E NC I I OF VI LLON TH E COMPLAINT OF TIIE FAIR AR MO UR E SS A DOU B LE BALLAD OF GOOD COUNSEL FRAGMENT ON DEATH BA LLAD OF THE LORDS O F O LD TIME vi C O N T E N T S PAG E

BALLAD OF . THE WOMEN OF PARIS BAL L AD WRITTEN FO R A BRIDEGROO M BALLAD AGAINST THE ENEMIES OF FRANCE THE D ISPUTE OF TH E H EART AND BODY OF FRAN COIS VILLON EPISTLE IN FO RM OF A BALLAD To HIS FRIENDS THE EPITAPH IN FORM OF A BALLAD FROM VICTO R HUGO NOCTURNE THEOPHI LE GAUTIER ODE IN O B I TUM T H E O PH I L I POET/ E AD C ATUL L UM

I 1 8 8 DEDICAT ON , 7

PO EMS AND BALLADS : TH IRD S ERIES .

MARCH : AN O D E

T H E C O MMONVV E AL

T H E ARMADA TO A SEAMEW

PAN AND THAL ASSI US A BALLAD O F BATH I N A GARD EN A RHYME BABY-BIRD O LIVE A WO RD WITH TH E WIND NEAP-TI DE vii C O N T E N T S

BY TH E WAYSIDE . NIGHT IN TIME OF MOU RNING THE INTERPRETERS TH E RECALL BY TWI LIG HT A BABY ’ S EPITAPH ON TH E DEATH OF S I R HEN RY TAYLOR IN MEMO RY OF JOHN WI L L IAM I NC H B OL D NE W YEAR ’S DAY

T o SI R RICHARD F . BU RTON NE LL GWYN CALIBAN ON ARIE L THE WEARY WEDDING THE “H ND S A LYKE - WAKE SON G A RE IVE R ’ S NEC K-VERS E THE WITCH -MOTHER THE B RIDE ’ S TRAGE DY ’ A J ACOBITE S FAREWELL

’ A jACO B I TE S EXILE THE TYNESIDE WIDOW DEDICATION

I N D E ' ' l‘ O POEMS

v iii PREFACE

P R E F A C E

HE present v olu m e conta ining th e text of both Second T and Third Series of Poems a nd Ba ll a ds a s origin a lly

1 8 8 a n d 1 8 8 m c c w c issued in 7 9 , co pletes the entire olle tion hi h

a a w Poem s a nd B a lla ds 1 8 6 6 . under this gener l title beg n ith , in For re a sons sta ted in the Prefa ce to our reprint of the First

’ Series in 1 8 99 the title adopted by us wa s L a w V enerzs

Poem s a nd B a lla ds a a m h c a t , th t being the n e in t is ountry “ a w w a s ﬁ k w a n d w u le st, hereby the book rst no n ill contin e w ' to be kno n . Heretofore the Second and Third divisions of Poems a nd

B a lla ds h a ve only been pro cura ble in tw o sep a ra te vol u mes ; in bringing them into the com p a ss of a single qua rto of am ple and attra c tive f orm a t w e h a ve a t l a st c ompleted a design th a t America n a dm irers of Algernon C h a rles S winburne ca nnot fa il

a a to ppreci te . Th e three series considered a s a w hole present a body of lyrica l a nd elegia c verse unsurp a ssed a nd uns urp a ssable in the

a u w l iter t re of the orld .

POEMS AND BALLADS

SECOND SERI ES

I N S C R I B E D

R I C H A R D F B U R T O N

I N REDEMPTION O F O L D PLEDGE AN D I N RECOGNITION O F A FRIENDSHIP I V H I C H I MUST ALWAYS COUNT AMONG THE HIGHEST H ONOURS O F MY LIFE

T H E L A S T O R A C L E

And the world th at w a s thine and w as ours When the G races took hands with th e Hours Grew col d as a Winter wave f - I n the wind rom a wide mouthed grave , As a gul f wide open to sw allow

The light that the worl d h eld dear .

f o f o f O ather all us , Paian , Apollo , l Destroyer and healer , hear

f Age on age thy mouth was m ute , thy ace was hidden , And the lips and eyes that loved thee blind and dumb ; f f S ong orsook their tongues th at held thy nam e orbidden , ’ Light their eyes th at s a w the strange God s kingdom com e . Fire for light and h ell for h eaven and psalms for p ae ans

of Filled the clearest eyes and lips most sweet song , When for chant of Greeks the w ail of G alileans

Made the whole worl d moan with hym ns of wrath and wrong .

w e f sa w Yea , not yet See thee , ather , as they thee ,

They that worshipped when th e world w as theirs and thine , Th ey whose words had power by thine own power to draw thee

Down from heaven till earth seemed m ore than he aven divine . For the shades are abo u t u s th at hover When darkness is h al f withdrawn And the skirts o f the dead night cover f The ace of the live n e w d awn . For the past is not utterly past

its Though the word on lips be th e l ast , And the time be gone by with its creed

When men were as beasts th at bleed ,

6 T H E L A S T O R A C L E

As sheep or as swine that wallow , f f f I n the shambles o aith an d o fe ar .

0 f of Of ather all us , Paian , Apollo , D ' estroyer and healer , hear

f Yet it m ay be , lord and ather , coul d we k now it , We that love thee for our darkness shall h ave light More than ever prophet hailed of old or poet

Standing crowned and robed and sovereign i n thy sight .

o f To the likeness one God their dreams enthralled thee , Wh o wast greater th an all Gods that waned and grew ;

of son of S on God the shining Time they called thee ,

f w . Who wast older , O our ather , than they kne For no thought of m an m ade Gods to love or honour

Ere the song within the silent soul began , Nor might earth i n dream or deed take heaven upon h er

Till the word was clothed with speech by lips of m an . f And the word and th e li e wast thou , The Spirit of m an and the breath ; And be fore thee th e Gods th at b ow

Take life at thine h ands and death .

For these are as ghosts that w ane , That are gone i n an age or twain ; f H arsh , m erci ul , passionate , pure ,

They perish , but thou shalt endure f ’ B e th eir l i e as the swan s or the swallow ,

They pass as th e ﬂight of a year .

f of of O ather all us , Paian , Apollo , D ' estroyer and h ealer , hear T H E L A S T O R A C L E

f Thou the word , the light , the li e , the breath , the glory ,

Strong to h elp and he al , to lighten and to slay , ’ is o f Thine al l the song m an , the world s whole story ;

Not of morning and o f evening is thy day . Old and younge r Gods are buried or begotten

d ow n settin of su n From uprising to g thy , f f f Risen rom eastward , allen to westward and orgotten ,

And their springs are m any , but th eir end i s one .

of Divers births godhe ads ﬁnd one death appointed , As th e soul whence each w a s born m akes room for e ach ;

God by God goes out , discrown ed and disanointed , f But the soul stands ast that g ave th em sh ape an d speech . I s the su n yet cast out of heaven ? I s the song yet cast out o f m an ? Life th at had song for its leaven To quicke n th e blood th at ran Through the vein s o f the son gless years

More bitter an d cold than tears , Heave n that h ad thee for its one f Light , li e , word , witness , O sun ,

Are they soundless and sightless and hollow , ? Without eye , without speech , without ear

f of of O ather all us , Paian , Apollo , ' Destroyer and h ealer , hea r

a n d Time arose smote thee silent at his warning , Change and darkness fell on men th at fell from thee ;

Dark thou Satest , veiled with light , behind th e morning ,

Till the soul of m an should lift up eyes and se e .

8 T H E L A S T O R A C L E

Till the blind mute soul get speech again an d eyesight , Man m ay worship not the light o f life Within ; I n his sight the stars whose ﬁres grow dark in thy sight

n f in S hine as sunbeam s on the ight o death and s . of Time ag ain i s risen with mightier word warning , Ch ange hath blown ag ain a bl ast of louder breath ;

Clothed with clouds and stars and dream s th at melt i n morning , of ' Lo , the Gods th at ruled by grace sin and death

They are conquered , they break , th ey are stricken , Whose might m ade the whole worl d p ale ; They are dust that sh all rise not or quicken ’ Though the worl d for thei r death s sake wail . ’ As a hound on a wild beast s trace , S o tim e has thei r godhead in chase ;

As wolves when th e hunt m akes head , fl They are scattered , th ey y , they are ﬂed ; f They are led beyond h ail , beyond hollo ,

of . An d the cry the ch ase , and th e cheer

f of of O ather all us , Pai an , Apollo , D ' estroyer an d healer , hear

D ay by d ay thy Shadow shines in he aven beholden ,

su n of f : Even the , the shining shadow thy ace of f f King , the ways heave n be ore thy eet grow golden ;

of . God , the soul earth is kindled with thy grace of f In thy lips the speech m an whence Gods were ashioned , I n thy soul the thought that makes th em and unmakes ;

thy light an d h eat incarnate and impassioned , By

r S oul to soul of m an gives light fo light and takes .

9 T H E L A S T O R A C L E

As o f they knew thy name old time could we know it ,

of of H ealer called sickness , sl ayer invoked wrong ,

of Light eyes th at saw thy light , God , king , priest , poet ,

Song should bring thee b ack to heal us with thy song .

For thy kingdom is past not away , Nor thy power from the pl ace th ereof hurle d ;

of Out heaven they sh all cast not the d ay ,

They sh all cast not out song from the worl d . By the song and the light they give We know thy works th at they live ; With the gi ft thou hast give n us of speech

We praise , we adore , we beseech , f We arise at thy bidding and ollow ,

We cry to thee , answer , appear ,

f of of O ather al l us , Paian , Apollo , D ' estroyer and he aler , hear

I O I N T H E B A Y

EYOND th e hol low sunset , ere a star f Take h eart i n he aven rom eastward while the west ,

o f Fulﬁlled watery resonance and rest , I s as a port with clouds for harbour b ar To fold the ﬂeet i n of the winds from fa r ’ That stir no plum e now of the bl and sea s breast ;

Above the soft sweep of the breathless b ay fa r of S outhwestward , p ast ﬂight night and day ,

Lower than the sunken sunset sinks , and higher

f f of Than dawn can re ak the ront h eaven with ﬁre , My thought with eyes and wi ngs m ade wide m akes w ay f TO ﬁ nd the pl ace o souls that I desire .

If for any pl ace any soul there be , disen tra m m elle d if Disrobed and ; the might , The ﬁ re and force that ﬁlled with ardent light f The souls whose sh adow is hal th e light we see , Survive and be suppressed not of the night ; f This hour should Show wh at all d ay hid rom me .

I I I N T H E B A Y

Night knows not , neither is it shown to day ,

By sunlight nor by starlight is it shown , f ’ f f Nor to th e ull m oon s eye nor oot all known , ’ Th eir world s untrodden and unkindled way . Nor is the breath nor music of it blown

With sounds of Wi nter or with winds of May .

But h ere , where light and d arkness re conciled Hol d e arth between them as a weanling chil d of Between the b al ance d h ands death an d birth , Even as they held the new-born sh ape of e arth f When ﬁrst li e trembled i n her limb s and smiled ,

Here hop e might think to ﬁnd wh at hope were worth .

Past H ades , past Elysi um , p ast the long Slow smooth strong lapse of Lethe p ast the toil

Wherein all souls are taken as a spoil , The S tygian web of waters — if your song

B e quenched not , O our brethren , but be strong

’ As ere ye too shook oﬂ ou r temporal coil ;

I f yet these twain survive your worldly breath , f Joy trampling sorrow , li e devouring death ,

1 2

I N T H E B A Y

O u tligh te n in g S irius i n its twilight throng

No thunder and no sunrise like thy song .

Hath not th e se a -wind swept the se a -line bare To pave with stainl ess ﬁre through stainless ai r A passage fo r thine h eavenlier feet to tread Ungrieved of earthly ﬂ oor-work ? h ath it Spre ad No covering splendi d as the sun-god ’ s h air To veil or to reve al thy lordlier head ?

H ath not the sunset shown across th e Sea A way m ajestical enough for thee ?

Wh at hour s ave this should be thine hour and m ine , If thou have care of any less divine

if o f Than thine own soul ; thou take thought m e , of ? Marlowe , as all my soul takes thought thine

X I II

Be fore the moon ’s face as before the sun The morning star and evening star are one ’

a s . if For all men s lands Engl and O , night

Hang h ard upon us , ere our day take ﬂight , S hed thou some com fort from thy day long done O n u s pale children of the l atter light '

1 4 I N T H E B A Y

' I V

For surely , brother and m aster and lord and king , Where ’ er thy footfall an d thy face m ake spring ’ ’ I n all souls eyes th at m eet thee wheresoe er , And have thy soul for sunshine and sweet air

’ r of S o n e late love thi ne old live l and shoul d cling ,

of . S ome living love Engl and , round thee there

Here from her Shore across her sunniest se a of for My soul m akes question the sun thee ,

And waves and beams m ake answer . When thy feet M ade her w ays fl ow e rie r and their flowers more sweet of With childlike passage a god to be , ’ f m n Like spray these waves cast off her oe e s fleet .

'V I

f f Like oam they ﬂung it rom her , and like weed f f I ts wrecks were washed ro m scorn ul shoal to shoal , From rock to rock reverberate ; and the whole S ea laughed and lightened with a de athless deed Th at sowed our enemies in her ﬁel d for seed

And m ade her shores ﬁt h arbourage for thy soul .

XVII

’ Then i n her green south ﬁelds , a poor m an s child , of f- Thou h adst thy short sweet ﬁll hal blown joy ,

1 5 I N T H E B A Y

Th at ripens all of u s fo r time to cloy With full - blown pain and passion ; ere th e wild

World caught thee by the ﬁery heart , and smiled f f To m ake s o swi t end o the godlike boy .

XVI II

if f For thou , ever godlike oot there trod

of . These ﬁelds ours , wert surely like a god Who knows wh at splendour of strange dream s was shed With sacred Sh adow and glimmer of gol d and red sod From hallowed windows , over ston e and , O n thine unbowed bright insubmissive h ead ?

'I '

The shadow stayed not , but the sple ndour stays ,

of . O ur brother , till the l ast English days No day nor night on English e arth sh all be

For ever , spring nor sum mer , Junes nor M ays , B ut som ewh at as a sound or gleam of thee

S h all com e on us like morning from th e sea .

Like sunrise never whol ly risen , nor yet e n c h e d O4; or like sunset n ever wholly set , A light to lighten as from living eyes The cold unlit close lids of one that lies

1 6 I N T H E B A Y

’ f fa r Dead , or a ray returned rom death s ski es

To ﬁre us living lest our lives forget .

' ' I

o f For in th at he aven wh at light lights m ay b e , of of Wh at splendour wh at stars , what Sph eres ﬂ am e

S ou nding , th at none m ay number nor m ay n ame ,

We know not , even thy brethren ; yea , not we

Whose eyes desire th e light th at lightened thee ,

Whose ways and thine are one way and the same .

XXII

if B ut the riddles that in sleep we re ad ,

And trust them not , be ﬂattering truth indeed ,

— h e As he th at rose our mightiest called them , , Much high er than thou as thou much higher th an

o f There , might we say , all ﬂower all our seed ,

All singing souls are as one sounding se a .

XXIII

of All those that h ere were thy kind and kin , f of B eside thee an d below thee , ul l love ,

- for Full souled song , and one alone above Whose only light folds all you r glories i n With all birds ’ notes from nightingale to dove

Fill th e worl d whither we too fain woul d wi n .

1 7 I N T H E B A Y

XXIV

The worl d that sees i n heaven the sovereign light O f sunlike S hakespeare , an d the ﬁery night

of Whose stars were watched Webster ; and beneath ,

- o f The twi n souled b rethren the single wreath , w ’ f G ro n in king s gardens , plucked rom pastoral heath ’ ’ Wrought with all ﬂowers for all men s heart s delight .

XXV

f - And that ﬁ xed ervour , iron red like M ars ,

of I n the mid moving tide tenderer stars ,

That burned on loves and deeds the darkest don e , ’ Athwart the incestuous prisoner s bride -house bars ;

n of An d thi e , most h ighest all their ﬁres but one ,

f su n . Our m orning star , sole risen be ore the

XXVI

And one light risen since theirs to run such race

f of . Thou hast seen , O Phosphor , rom thy pride pl ace

Thou h ast seen S helley , hi m that was to thee As light to ﬁ re or dawn to lightning ; me ,

se e Me likewise , O our brother , sh alt thou , f f ? An d I behold thee , ace to glorious ace

XXVI I

You twain th e same swift year of m anhood swept

f . Down th e steep darkness , and our ather wept

1 8 I N T H E B A Y

And from the gle am of Apollonia n te ars

A holier aureole rounds your m emories , kept f -f of Most ervent resh all the singing spheres , - And April coloured through all months and ye ars .

XXVII I

You twain fate sp ared not h alf your ﬁery span f The longer date ulﬁls th e lesser m an . Ye from beyond the dark dividing date

f f . S tand smiling , crowned as gods with oot on ate

For stronger was your blessing than hi s b an ,

And earliest whom he struck , he struck too late .

XXIX

f f Yet love an d loathing , aith and un aith yet

u Bin d less to greater souls in nison , An d one desire that m akes three spirits a s one Take s great and sm all as i n one Spiritual net Woven out of hope toward wh at shall yet be done

Ere h ate or love rem ember or forget .

XXX

Woven out of faith and hope and love too gre at To bear the bonds of life an d de ath and fate Woven out of love and h ope and faith too clear To take the print of doubt and change and fear

I 9 I N T H E B A Y

And i nterwoven with lines o f wrath and h ate

- Blood red with soils o f m any a sangui ne year .

XXXI

if Who cannot h ate , can love not ; h e grieve , H is te ars are b arren as the unfruitful rain f ’ That rears no harvest rom th e green sea s pl ai n , ’ And as thorns crackling this m an s l augh is v ain . f Nor can belie touch , kindle , s mite , rep rieve

His heart w h o h as not heart to disbelieve .

XXXI I

f But you , most per ect in your h ate and love , O ur gre at twin -spirited brethren you th at stand f Head by head glittering , h and m ade ast i n hand , And underfoot the fang -drawn worm th at strove f so fa r To wound you living ; rom above ,

Look love , not scorn , on ours that was your l and .

XXXII I

For love we lack , and help an d h eat and light

To clothe u s an d to com fort us with might . Wh at hel p is ours to take or give ? but ye

O , more th an sunrise to the blind cold se a ,

That w ailed aloud with all her waves all night ,

Much more , being much more glorious , should

2 0

I N T H E B A Y

f f set f When orce an d e ar hope and aith at Odds , Ye failed not nor abased your plum e-plucked wings

w e And that front not more disastrous things , How should we fail i n face of kings and gods ?

XXXVIII

For no w the deep dense plum es o f night are thinned S urely with winnowi ng of the glim m ering wind Whose feet are ﬂedged with morning ; and the breath

B egins in heave n th at sings the dark to death . And all th e night wherein m en groaned an d sinned

S ickens at he art to he ar what su n d a w n saith .

XXXIX

ﬁ rst- of f O born sons hope and airest , ye Wh ose prows ﬁrst clove the thought-unsounded se a Whence all the dark dead centuries rose to bar

of f The spirit m an lest truth shoul d m ake h im ree ,

The sunrise an d th e sunset , seeing one star ,

Take he art as we to know you that ye are .

' L

Ye rise not and ye se t not ; we that sa y Ye rise a nd set like hopes th at se t and rise Look yet but seaward from a l and - locked bay ; ’ ’ But where at l ast the sea s line is the sky s t And truth and h ope one sunligh i n your eyes ,

NO sunrise and no sunset m arks thei r d ay .

2 2 A F O R S A K E N G A R D E N

‘ of cliﬂ N a coign the between lowl and and highl and , ’ se a - At th e down s edge betwee n windward and lee ,

Walled round with rocks as an inland isl and ,

Th e ghost of a garden fronts the se a . A girdle of brushwood and thorn encloses The steep square Slope of the blossomless bed Where the weeds that gre w green from the graves of its

Now lie dead .

f The ﬁelds all southward , abrupt and broke n ,

To the lo w last edge of the lon g lone land . If a step should sou nd or a word be spoken , Woul d a ghost n ot rise at the strange guest’ s hand ?

S o long have the grey bare walks l ain guestless , if w a Through branches an d briers a man m ake y , ’ f -W H e shall ﬁ nd no li e but the se a ind s , restl ess

Night and day .

Th e dense h ard p ass age is blind and stiﬂed Th at crawl s by a track none turn to cl imb To the strait waste pl ace that th e years have riﬂed

Of all but the thorns th at are tou ch ed not o f tim e .

2 3 A F O R S A K E N G A R D E N

The thorns he spares wh en the rose is taken ;

The rocks are le ft when he wastes th e pl ain .

- The wind that wanders , th e weeds wind Shaken ,

These re main .

Not a ﬂower to be prest of the foot th at falls not ; As the heart of a de ad m an the seed- plots are dry ; From the thicket o f thorns whence the nighti ngal e calls no h s e . Could call , there were never a rose to reply Over the m eadows that blossom and wither ’ Rings but the note of a se a-bird s song ; Only th e s u n and the rain come hither

All year long .

The su n burns sere and the rain dishevels

O ne gaunt bleak blossom of sce ntless bre ath . O nly the wi nd here hovers and revels

I n a round where li fe seem s barren as death .

o f H ere there was laughing old , there was weepin g ,

of H aply , lovers none ever will know , Whose eyes we nt seaward a hundred sleeping

Years ago .

f ’ Heart hand ast i n heart as they stood , Look thith er , Did he whisper ? Look forth from the ﬂowers to the Sf For th e foam - ﬂ ow e rs endure when the rose-blossom s withe ’ And men th at love lightly m ay die but w e ?

An d the same win d sang and the sam e wave s wh itened , ’ An d or ever the g arden s last petal s were shed ,

2 4 A F O R S A K E N G A R D E N

I n the lips that had whispered , the eyes that had lightened

Love w as dead .

f ? Or they loved their l i e through , and then went wh ith er And were one to the e nd — but what end w h o knows ? Love deep a s th e se a as a rose m ust wither

- As th e rose red se aweed that m ocks the rose . S h all the dead take thought for th e dead to love them ? What love was ever as deep as a grave ? They are loveless now as the grass above them

Or th e wave .

All are at one now , roses and lovers ,

Not known o f the cliffs and the ﬁelds and the se a . Not a breath of the tim e th at has bee n hovers

I n the air now soft with a sum mer to be . Not a breath sh all there sweeten the se asons hereafter Of the ﬂowers or th e lovers th at laugh now or weep , When a s they that are free n ow of weeping an d l aughter

We sh all sleep .

Here death m ay deal not again for ever ;

H ere ch ange m ay com e not till all ch ange end . m From the graves they h ave ade they sh all rise up never ,

Who h ave left nought living to ravage and re nd .

of Earth , stones , and thorns the wild ground growing ,

su n While th e an d the rain live , these shall be ; Till a l ast Wind ’ s breath upon all these blowing

Roll the sea .

2 5 A F O R S A K E N G A R D E N

‘ se a c liﬂ Till th e slow rise and the sheer cru mble , f Till terrace an d meadow the deep gul s drink , Till the strength o f th e waves o f the high tides humble

The ﬁelds th at lessen , the rocks th at shrink , f Here now in his triumph where al l things alter ,

Stretched out on the spoils th at his own h and spread , f- As a god sel sl ain on his own strange altar ,

Death lies dead .

2 6 R E L I C S

of H IS ﬂower that smells honey and th e sea ,

White l aurustine , seems i n my hand to be A white star m ade of memory lo n g ago

of c Lit i n the he aven lear times dead to m e .

A star out o f the skies love used to know f Here held i n h and , a stray l e t yet to Show Wh at ﬂowers my heart was full of i n the days ’ That are long since gon e down dead m emory s ﬂ ow .

D f ead m emory th at revives on doubt ul w ays , H al f hearkening wh at the burie d se ason says O ut o f the world of the un apparent dead

Where th e lost Aprils are , and the lost Mays .

- Flower , once I knew thy star white brethren bred Nigh where the l ast of all the l and m ade he ad

s e a -f Against the , a kee n aced promontory ,

- Flowers on salt wind and sprinkled sea dews fe d .

’ Their h earts were gl ad of the free pl ace s glory ; The wind th at sang the m all his stormy story

H ad talked all winter to the sleepless sp ray , ’ And as the sea s th eir hues were hard and hoary .

2 7 R E L I C S

o f a n d Like things born the sea the brigh t day ,

They laughed out at the years th at could not sl ay ,

o f Live sons and joyous unquiet hou rs ,

And stronger than all storms th at range fo r prey .

And in th e close i ndomitable ﬂowers A keen-edged odour o f th e sun and showers Was as the sm ell o f the fresh honeycomb

Made sweet for mouths of none but p aramours .

Out of the hard green wall o f leaves that clomb

f o f - f f They showed like wind alls the snow so t oam , ’ f f -W O r eathers rom th e weary south ind s wing ,

Fair as th e spray that it came shoreward from .

a s ? And thou , white , wh at word hast thou to bring I f f ? my heart hearken , whereo wilt thou sing

For some sign surely thou too hast to be ar ,

r S ome word fa south w as taught thee of th e spring .

White like a white rose , not like these that were ’ of W Taught th e ind s mouth and the winter air ,

of f Poor tender thing so t Itali an bloom ,

\V h e re rew e st for ? once thou g , wh at else me grew there

’ Born i n wh at spring an d on what city s tomb ,

d for ? By whose hand w ast thou re ache , and plucked whom ’ Th ere hangs about thee , coul d the soul s sense tell , f ’ An odour as o love and of lov e s doom .

2 8

R E L I C S

W This th at the winter and th e ind m ade bright ,

And this that lived upon Itali an light ,

f s Be ore I throw the m and these word away , Who knows but I wh at m emories too take ﬂight ?

3 0 A T A M O N T H ’ S E N D

HE night last night was strange and sh aken

More strange the ch ange of you and me . ’ for f O nce more , the old love s love orsaken ,

We went out once m ore toward the sea .

’ - For the ol d love s love sake dead and buried ,

One l ast time , one m ore and n o m ore ,

We watched the w aves set in , the serried

Sp ears of the tide storming the shore .

H ardly we s aw the high m oon h angin g , H e ard h ardly through the windy night low f Far w aters ringi ng , ree s cl anging ,

Under wan skies and w aste white light .

f of With cha e and change surges chiming , The cl ashing ch annels rocked and rang

L arge m usic , w ave to wil d wave timing ,

And all the choral w ater s ang .

f w a Faint lights ell this way , that y floated , Ch ick sp arks of sea-fi re keen like eyes f From the rolled sur that flash ed , an d noted ff S hores and faint cli s and b ays and skies .

3 1 A T A M O N T H ’ S E N D

The ghost O f s e a that sh rank up sighi ng ’ s a d At th e sand s edge , a short breath

Trembling to touch the goal , and dying With weak heart he aved up once i n death

Th e rustling sand and Sh ingle Sh ake n With light sweet touches and sm all sound

u s These coul d not m ove , coul d not waken f Hearts to look orth , eyes to look round .

S ilent we went an hour together ,

Under grey skies by waters white .

f of O ur hearts were ull windy we ather ,

Clouds and blown stars and broken light .

Full o f cold clouds and m oonbeam s drifted

And stre aming storm s an d straying ﬁres , Our souls in us were stirred and shifted f By doubts and dre am s and oiled desires .

se a - m ew Across , asl ant , a scudding

c S wam , lipped , and dropped , and grazed the sea And one with m e I could not dream you ;

And one with you I coul d not be .

As the white wing the white wave ’ s fringes Touche d and slid over and ﬂash ed p ast As a pal e cloud a pale ﬂame tinges From the moon ’ s lowest light and last

3 2 A T A M O N T H ’ S E N D

AS f f a star eels the sun and alters , Tou ched to death by diviner eyes ’ AS on the old gods untended altars The old ﬁre of withered worship dies

(O nce only , once th e sh rine relighte d

S ees the l ast fiery sh adow shine , of f Last sh adow flam e and aith benighted , S ees falter and flutter and fail the shrine )

S o on ce with ﬁery breath and ﬂying

Your wi nged heart touched m ine and went , f And the swi t Spirits kissed , an d sighing ,

S undered and smile d and were content .

f That only tou ch , that eeling only , f f Enough we ound , we oun d too much For the unlit shrine i s h ardly lonely

As one the old ﬁre forgets to touch .

’ of s e a -m ew S light as th e sea s sight th e , ’ S light as the sun s sight o f the star : Enough to Show one m u st not deem you ’ For love s sake other th an you are .

Wh o sn ares an d tames with fear and danger

of A bright beast a ﬁery kin ,

O nly to m ar , only to change he r S leek supple soul and Splendid skin ?

3 3 A T A M O N T H ’ S E N D

Easy with blows to m ar and m ai m he r , Easy with bonds to bind and bruise ; if What proﬁt , She yield h er tame r ? The limbs to m ar , the Soul to lose

f Best leave or take the per ect creature , Take al l she is or l eave complete ; f f Transmute you will not orm or eature ,

Change feet for wings or wings for feet .

Strange eyes , new limbs , can no m an give

S weet is the sweet thing as it is .

s h e se e No soul h ath , we , to outlive her ; H ath she for th at no lips to kiss ?

S o m ay one re ad his weird , and re ason ,

And with vain drugs assuage no p ain . For e ach m an in his loving season

Fools and i s fooled of these in vain .

Charm s th at all ay not any longing , f Spells that appe ase not any grie , f Time brings us all by hand uls , wronging

All hurts with nothing of relief .

f ’ ' Ah , too soon shot , the ool s bolt m isses What h elp ? the world is full of loves ;

f o f Night a ter night running kisses ,

Chirp after chirp o f changing doves .

3 4 A T A M O N T H ’ S E N D

S houl d Love disown or disesteem you For loving one m an more or l ess ?

se a - You could not tame your light white mew ,

Nor I my sleek bl ack p antheress .

For a new soul let whoso please pray ,

f . We are what li e m ade us , and shal l be se a - For you the j u ngl e an d m e the spray ,

And south for you an d north for m e .

B ut this on e broke n foam - white feather

off I throw you the hither wing ,

ff se a - f S plash ed sti with scur and salt weather , This song for sleep to learn and sing

S ing in your ear when , dayti me over ,

You , couched at long length on hot sand

- With som e sleek sun discoloured lover , Wince from his breath as from a brand

Till th e acrid hour aches out and ceases ,

And the she athed eyeb all sl eepier swims ,

its Th e deep ﬂank smoothes di mpl ing cre ases , And passion loosens all th e limbs

Till dre ams of sh arp grey north -se a weath e r f Fall aint upon your ﬁery sleep , As on strange sands a strayed bird ’ s feather

The wind m ay choose to lose or keep .

3 5 A T A M O N T H ’ S E N D

w h o of But I , l eave my queen panthers , AS a tired honey - heavy bee Gilt with sweet dust from gold — grai ned anthers

- for ? Leaves the rose ch alice , wh at m e

f Fro m th e ardours o the ch aliced centre , ’ From the amorous anthers golden grime ,

Th at scorch an d smutch all wings that enter , - I ﬂy forth hot from honey ti m e .

But as to a bee ’ s gilt thigh s and winglets The ﬂ ow er-dust with the ﬂ ow e r-smell clings ; As a snake ’s mobile ramp ant ringlets Leave the sand m arked with print of rings ;

S o to my soul i n surer fashion Your savage stamp and Savour hangs ; f f The pri nt an d per ume o old p assion , ’ - The wild be ast m ark of p anther s fangs .

3 6

S E S T I N A

All loves an d dreams and sounds and gleam s of night

Made it all music that such minstrels m ay , And all they had they g ave it o f delight But i n the full face of the ﬁre o f day

for Wh at pl ace Shall be any starry light , ’ What part o f he aven in all the wide sun s way ?

Yet the soul woke not , sl eeping by the way ,

of Watched as a nursling the large eyed night , And sought no strength nor knowledge o f the d ay

of Nor closer touch conclusive delight ,

Nor mightier j oy n or truer th an dreamers m ay ,

of of . Nor more song than they , nor more light

For who sleeps once and sees the secret light Whereby sleep shows the soul a fairer way of Between the rise and rest day and night ,

f a s S h all care no more to are all me n m ay ,

o f of But he his pl ace pain or delight ,

There Shall he dwell , beholding night as day .

of Song , h ave thy day an d take thy ﬁll light Be fore the night be fallen across thy w ay

S ing while h e m ay , m an hath no long delight .

38 T H E Y E A R O F T H E R O S E

ROM th e depths of the green garden — closes Where the summ er i n darkness dozes Till autumn plu ck from his hand An hour-gl ass that holds not a sand ; From the m aze that a ﬂ ow e r-belt encloses To the stones and se a -grass on the strand How red was th e reign of t h e roses Over the rose -crowned l an d '

Th e year of the rose i s brief ; f f From the irst bl ade blown to the shea , f From the thi n green lea to the gold ,

I t has time to b e sweet and grow ol d , To triumph and leave not a leaf For witness i n winter ’s sight How lovers once i n the light

Woul d mix their b reath with its breath , of And its spirit was quenched not night ,

As love is subdued not of death .

39 T H E Y E A R O F T H E R O S E

I n the red -rose land not a mile Of f the m eadows rom stile to stile , Of f the valleys rom stream to stream , But the air was a long sweet dream And the earth w as a Sweet wide smile

- of Red mouthed a goddess , returned

From the se a which h ad borne her and burned , Th at with one swi ft smile o f her mouth f Looked ul l on the north as it yearned ,

And th e north was m ore than the south .

For th e north , when winter was long ,

I n his heart h ad m ade hi m a song ,

of And clothed it with wings desire , of And shod it with shoon as ﬁre , To carry the tale of his wrong - To the south west win d by th e se a , That who might bear it but h e To the e ars of the goddess u nknown Who waits till h er tim e shall be To take the worl d for a throne ?

I n the e arth ben eath , and above

I n the heave n where her nam e is love , S he warms with light from her eyes

of f The seasons li e as they ri se ,

o f And her eyes are as eyes a dove , B ut the wings that lift h er and bear

40 T H E Y E A R O F T H E R O S E

’ As an eagle s , an d all her h air ’ As ﬁre by the Wind s breath curled ,

And her p assage is song through the ai r ,

And her presence is spring through the worl d .

S o turned sh e northward and cam e , And the white-thorn l and was a ﬂ a m e f f With the ﬁres that were sh ed rom her eet ,

That the north , by her love m ade sweet , S houl d be called by a rose-re d n ame ;

of And a murmur was heard as doves , An d a musi c beginni ng of loves

I n th e light th at the roses m ade ,

S uch light as the music loves ,

The music of m an with m aid .

But the days drop one upon one , An d a chill soft wind i s b egu n I n the heart of the rose-red m aze Th at weeps for the roselea f days And th e reign o f the rose undone

Th at ruled so long in the light ,

And by Spirit , and not by Sight , a Through the d rkness th rilled with breath ,

Still ruled in the viewless night ,

AS love might rule over death .

The tim e of lovers is brie f ; From the fair ﬁrst j oy to the grief

4 1 T H E Y E A R O F T H E R O S E

That tells when love is grown ol d , m Fro the warm wild kiss to th e cold , - f From the red to th e white rose le a , They h ave but a se ason to seem As rose le a v e s lost on a stream Th at p art not and pass not ap art AS f a spirit rom dream to dream , f As a sorrow rom heart to he art .

From the bloom and the gloom that encloses The death-bed of Love where he dozes Till a relic be left not of sand To the hour-gl ass that bre aks i n his hand ; From the change i n the grey garden-closes

o f To the l ast stray grass the strand , A rai n and ruin of roses

- Over the red rose land .

4 2 A W A S T E D V I G I L

OUL DST ? thou not watch with me one hour Behol d ,

se a f of D awn Skims the with ﬂyin g eet gold , With sudden feet that graze the gradual se a ; Couldst thou not watch with m e ?

? for Wh at , not one hour star by star th e night

Falls , and her thousands world by world take ﬂight ;

of ? They die , and day survives , and what thee Couldst thou not watch with me ?

fa r of Lo , in heaven the web night undone , And on the sudden se a the gradual su n ;

Wave to w ave answers , tree responds to tree ; Couldst thou not watch with m e ?

43 A W A S T E D V I G I L

f S unbeam by sunbeam creeps rom line to line , Foam by foam quicke ns on the brightening b rine ; f S ail by sai l p asses , ﬂower by ﬂower gets ree Couldst thou not watch with me ?

f Last year , a brie while Since , an age ago ,

A whole year past , with bud and bloom and snow , n f O moo th at wast in he aven , what riends were we Couldst thou not watch with m e ?

’ w ’ Old moons , an d l ast year s ﬂo ers , and l ast year s snows n ow ? ? Who saith to thee , moon or who saith , rose f f ' O dust and ashes , once ound air to see Couldst thou not watch with me ?

O dust and ashes , on ce thought sweet to smell ? With m e it is not , i s it with thee well O se a -dri ft blown from windward back to lee ' Couldst thou not w atch with me ?

A W A S T E D V I G I L

As a n ew moon above spent stars thou wast ;

But stars endure after the moon i s past . ? Couldst thou not watch one hour , though I watch three Coul dst thou not w atch with m e ?

XIII

of ? is f Wh at the night Th e night ull , the tide

Storm s inl and , th e most an cient rocks divide ;

b o w n or Yet some endure , and head nor knee ; Couldst thou not watch with m e ?

a s S ince thou art not these are , go thy ways ;

Thou hast no part in all my nights and d ays .

Li e still , Sleep on , be gl ad as such things be ;

Thou couldst not watch with me . T H E C O M P L A I N T O F L I S A

(D ou ble S estin a )

D x . E CAMERON , 7

Th ere is no woman living th at draws bre ath

So s ad as I , though all things sadden her . There is not one upon life ’ s weariest way

Who is weary as I am weary of all but death . Toward whom I look as looks the sunﬂower All day with all his whole soul toward the su n ; ’ While in the sun s Sight I m ake m oan all day , And all night on my sleepless m aiden bed

Weep and call out on death , O Love , and thee ,

Th at thou or he would take m e to the dead , An d know not what thing evil I have done f That li e should l ay such heavy hand on m e .

? Al as , Love , wh at is this thou wouldst with me

m y What honour shalt thou h ave to quench breath , Or what shall my heart broke n proﬁt th ee ? 0 Love , O gre at god Love , what h ave I done , That thou shouldst hunger so after my death ?

47 T H E C O M P L A I N T O F L I S A

’ My heart is harmless a s my life s ﬁrst d ay f f S ee k out some alse ai r wom an , and plague Till h er tears even a s my tears ﬁll her bed :

I am the least flower i n thy flowery way , But till my time be come that I be dead Let m e live out my fl ow e r- tim e in the su n

Though my leaves shut before the sunﬂower .

' O Love , Love , Love , the kingly sunﬂower

S hall he the sun hath looked on look on me , of Th at live down here i n shade , out the sun , Here living in th e sorrow and sh adow of death ? S hall he that feeds his heart full of the d ay ? Care to give m ine eyes light , or my lips breath Because she loves hi m Sh all my lord love her Who i s as a worm in my lord ’ s kingly way ? I shall not Se e him or know h im alive or dead ; w But thou , I kno thee , O Love , and pray to thee f f f - Th at in b rie while my brie li e days be done ,

- And th e worm qui ckly m ake my m arriage be d .

For underground th ere i s no Sleepless bed But here since I beheld my su nﬂower

These eyes have slept not , seeing all night and

f f su n . His sunlike eyes , and ace ronting th e f if Where ore anywhere be any death , f f f I would ain ﬁnd and ol d h im ast to m e , ’ That I m ay sleep with the world s eldest dead ,

48 T H E C O M P L A I N T O F L I S A

With her th at died seven centuries since , and her

- That went l ast night down the night wanderin g w ay .

is For this is sleep i ndeed , when l abour done ,

Without love , without dreams , and without breath ,

of . And without thought , O nam e unnamed thee

f n ? Ah , but , orgettin g all thi gs , Sh all I thee Wilt thou not be as n ow about my bed There underground as here before the su n ? i S hall not thy v sion vex m e alive a nd dead , Thy moving vision Without form or bre ath ? I read long since the bitter tal e o f her

of Who read the tal e Launcelot on a day , f And died , and h ad no quiet a ter de ath ,

But was moved ever along a we ary w ay ,

Lost with her love in the underworld ; ah m e ,

O my king , O my lordly sunﬂower , Would God to me too such a thing were done

if But such sweet and bitter things b e done ,

f f f . Then , ﬂying rom li e , I Sh all not ﬂy rom thee For i n that living world without a su n

Thy vision will l ay hol d upon m e dead ,

And m eet and mock m e , and m ar my peace i n death . if Yet being wroth God had such pity on her , f Who was a sinner and oolish in her day ,

That eve n i n hell they twai n should breathe one b re ath , Why should he not in som e wise pity me ?

49 T H E C O M P L A I N T O F L I S A

S o if I Sleep not i n my soft strait bed I m ay look up and see my sunﬂower

As su n . he th e , in some divine strange way

O poor my heart , well knowest thou in what way

v n This sore sweet e il u to us w a s done . For on a holy and a heavy day I w a s arisen out of my still sm all bed

s e e To the knights tilt , and one said to m e ’ Th e king , and seeing him , somewh at stopped my breath , if And the girl spake more , I h eard not her ,

s a w For only I what I sh all see when dead ,

o f A king ly ﬂower knights , a sunﬂower ,

th e s u n That shone against the sunlight like ,

And like a ﬁre , O he art , consuming thee .

The ﬁre of love that lights th e pyre of death .

Howbeit I Shall not die an evil death

Wh o s a d have loved i n such a and Sinless way ,

w a s . Th at this my love , lord , no sham e to thee

su n S o when mine eyes are shut against the , ’ ’ O my soul s sun , O the worl d s sunﬂower ,

Thou nor no m an will quite despise m e dead . And dyi ng I p ray with all my low last breath

f w a s Th at thy whole li e m ay be as that day , f - Th at east day that m ade trothplight death and me , Giving th e world light o f thy great deeds done ; f f And that air ace brightening thy bridal bed ,

That God be good as God h ath been to her .

50 T H E C O M P L A I N T O F L I S A

Th at all things goodly and gl ad rem ain with her , All things th at m ake gl ad life and goodly de ath ; Th at as a bee su cks from a sunﬂower

Honey , when sum mer draws delighted bre ath , Her soul m ay drink of thy soul in like w ay And love m ake li fe a fruitful m arri age -bed Where day m ay bring forth fruits o f joy to day

An d night to night till days and nights be dead .

of And as She gives light her love to thee , Give thou to her the ol d glory o f d ays long done ;

of And either give some h e at l ight to me ,

To warm m e wh ere I sleep without the sun .

su n O sunﬂower m ade drunken with th e , ’ O knight whose lady s heart draws thine to her ,

Great king , gl ad lover , I h ave a word to th ee . ’ o f There is a weed lives out the sun s way , f ’ H i d rom the he at deep in th e m eadow s bed , d Th at Swoons and whitens at the win s least bre ath ,

- A ﬂower star sh aped , th at all a summ er day Will gaze her soul out on the sunﬂower

For very love till twi l ight ﬁnds her de ad .

But the gre at sunﬂower heeds not her poor death , K nows not when all her loving life is done ;

An d SO mu ch knows my lord the king o f m e .

for Aye , all day long h e has no eye m e ; With golden eye following th e golden su n

- - From rose coloured to purple pillowed bed ,

SI T H E C O M P L A I N T O F L I S A

From birthplace to the ﬂ a m e-lit pl ace of death

From e astern end to western of his way . f So m ine eye ollows thee , my sunﬂowe r ,

-ﬂ o w e r S o the white star turns and yearns to thee ,

The sick weak weed , not well alive or dead , f if Trod under oot any pass by her , of Pale , without colour summ er or summer breath

I n the Shrunk shuddering petals , that have done

f . No work but love , and die be ore th e day

- o But thou , to day , t morrow, and every day ,

B e gl ad and great , O love whose love sl ays m e . Thy fervent ﬂower m ade fruitful from the sun ’ S h all drop its gol de n seed i n the world s way , That all men thereof nourish ed sh all prai se thee For grain an d ﬂowe r and fruit of works well done ;

Till thy shed seed , O sh ining sunﬂower , ’ B ring forth such growth of the world s garden -bed

As like the su n sh all outlive age and death . A nd yet I would thine heart h ad heed o f her

Who loves thee alive ; but not till s h e be dead .

C ome , Love , then , quickly , an d take her utm ost bre ath .

for Song , speak m e who am dumb as are the dead ; s a d of f From my bed tea rs I send orth thee , To ﬂy all day from sun ’ s birth to sun ’ s death ’ f su n Down the sun s way a ter the ﬂying , Fo r love o f her that gave thee wings and bre ath

Ere day be done , to seek the sunﬂower .

FO R T H E FEAST OF G I OR DANO BRUNO

o ff To scou rge priests , a sword to pi erce thei r God .

’ s ta tTfo r f A m an s ree th ought to wa l k al one , A l amp to lead him fa r from sh rine and throne On ways u ntrodde n wh ere his fa th ers trod Ere e arth ’ s heart withered at a high pri est ’ s nod ’ h And all me n s m on t s that m ade not pray er m ade moan . From bonds and torments and the ravening ﬂame S urely thy spirit o f sense rose up to greet

Lu cretius , wh ere such only spirits meet , And walk with hi m ap art til l Shelley came To m ake the heave n of heavens more he avenly sweet

And mix with yours a third incorporate nam e .

54 A V E A T Q U E V A L E

I N MEMO RY O F CHARLES BAUDE LAIRE

s e s o an l o e e l s ﬂ e u rs Nou d vrion p urt t ui p rt r qu que ,

L es o s les a s o r s ou t d e a d es d l e s m rt , p uvre m t , gr n ou ur ,

E t a d O b so f e é o d d es x a b es qu n cto re uf l , m n eur vieu r r ,

’ Son é l a o l e a l e o d e l rs a rb es vent m nc iqu nt ur eu m r ,

ils d o e ro e le C S a s b e ra s . erte , iv nt t uv r viv nt i n ing t

L es Fleu rs d u Ma l .

HALL I strew on th ee rose or rue or l aurel , of ? Brother , on this that was the veil thee

se a -ﬂ o w e r O r quiet moulded by the Sea ,

of - O r Simplest growth meadow sweet or sorrel , - D S uch as the sum m er Sleepy ryads we ave , Waked up by snow-soft sudden rains at eve ? f Or wilt thou rather , as on earth be ore , f- f H al aded ﬁery blossom s , pal e with heat

f of And ull bitter sum mer , but m ore sweet To th ee than gl eanings of a northern shore Trod by no tropic feet ?

55 AV E A T Q U E V A L E

For always thee the fervid languid glories Allured of heavier suns in mightier skies ; Thine ears knew all the wandering wate ry sighs

s e a Where th e sobs round Lesbian promontories , Th e b arren kiss o f piteous wave to wave That knows not where is th at Leucadian grave

Which hides too deep th e supreme head of song .

Ah , salt and sterile as her kisses were , The wil d se a winds her and the green gul fs bear

H ither and thith er , and vex and work her wrong ,

B lind gods th at cannot Spare .

Thou sawest , in thine ol d Singing season , brother , S ecrets and sorrows unbeheld of u s : f- Fierce loves , and lovely lea buds poisonous ,

for B are to thy subtler eye , but none other B lowing by night i n some u nbreathed -in clim e ;

of Th e hidden harvest luxurious time ,

S in without shape , and pleasure without speech ; And where strange dream s in a tumultuous Sleep Make th e shut eyes o f stricken spirits weep ; f And with each ace thou sawest the sh adow on each ,

S eeing as men sow me n reap .

56 AV E A T Q U E V A L E

O sleepless he art and sombre soul unsleeping , That were athirst for sleep and no more li fe for f An d no more love , peace and no more stri e Now the dim gods of de ath have in their keeping

of n S pirit and body and all the Springs so g , I S it well now where love can do no wrong , Where stingless pl easure h as no foam or fang Behind the u nopening closure of h er lips ? I S it not well where soul from body Slips An d ﬂesh from bone divides without a p ang AS de w from ﬂ ow er-bell drips ?

I t is enough ; the e nd and th e beginning

Are one thi ng to thee , who art p ast the end .

of f O h and uncl asped unbeholden riend ,

f for For thee no ruits to pluck , no palms wi nning ,

No triu mph and no l abour and no lust ,

- Only de ad yew le aves and a little dust .

O quiet eyes wherein the light saith nought ,

is Whereto the day dumb , nor any night

With obscure ﬁnger silences your sight ,

Nor in your speech the sudden soul speaks thought ,

for . S leep , and have sleep light

57 AV E A T Q U E V A L E

No w all strange hours an d all strange loves are over ,

Dreams and desires and sombre songs an d sweet , Hast thou foun d pl ace at the gre at k nees an d feet O f - some pale Titan woman like a lover ,

S uch as thy vision here solicited ,

o f f Under the sh adow her air vast head ,

o f The deep division prodigious bre asts ,

o f She sol em n Slope mighty limbs asleep , Th e weight of awful tresses that still keep The savour and sh ade of old - worl d pi ne-forests Where the w et hill -w inds weep ?

? H ast thou found any likeness for thy vision

of O gardener strange ﬂowers , wh at bud , what bloom , f ? H ast thou ound sown , what gathered in the gloom

of o f u of What despair , rapt re , derision ,

o f f O f ill ? Wh at li e i s there , wh at or good Are th e fruits grey like dust or brig ht like blood ? w of Does the di m ground gro any seed ours , f T he aint ﬁelds qui cken any terrene root , In lo w l ands where the su n and m oon are mute An d al l the s tars keep sile nce ? Are there flowers f ? At all , or any ruit

58 AV E A T Q U E V A L E

VII I

f Alas , but though my ﬂying song ﬂies a ter ,

O sweet strange elder Sin ger , thy more ﬂeet

f o f f f S ingin g , and ootprints thy leeter eet , S ome dim derision of m ysterious l aughter

of From the blind tongueless warders th e de ad , ’ of S om e g ainless glimpse Proserpine s veile d h ead , S om e little sound of u nregarded tears Wept by e ﬁ a c e d unproﬁtable eyes And from pale m ouths som e cadence of dead sighs

These only , these the hearkening spirit hears ,

S ees only su ch things rise .

fa r fa r for of f Thou art too wings words to ollow ,

Far too fa r off for thought or any prayer .

u s ? What ails with thee , who art wind and air What ails u s gazing where all Seen is hollow ? f Yet with some ancy , yet with som e desire ,

a s a ﬂ in Dreams pursue death winds y g ﬁre ,

Our dre am s pursu e our de ad and do not find . f Still , and more swi t than they , th e thin flame flies ,

low f Th e light ails us in elusive skies ,

f is f Still th e oiled e arnest ear dea , an d blind

Are still the eluded eye s .

59 AV E A T Q U E V A L E

’ Not thee , O never thee , in all tim e s changes ,

of sa d Not thee , but this the sound thy soul ,

o f f The sh adow thy swi t spirit , this shut scroll

I l ay my hand on , and not death estranges My spirit from com munion o f thy song These m emories and these m elodies that throng Veiled porches of a Muse funereal l f These I salute , these touch , these c asp and old AS though a hand were i n my h and to hold , O r th rough mine e ars a mourning musical

O f many mourne rs rolled .

I among these , I also , in such station

AS wh en the pyre was charred , and piled the sods , ff And o ering to the dead m ade , and thei r gods ,

The old mourners h ad , standing to m ake libation ,

I stand , and to the gods and to the dead

Do reverence without prayer or praise , and shed ff of O ering to these unknown , th e gods gloom ,

of se e dla n d s And wh at honey and spi ce my be ar ,

o f f And what I m ay ruits in this chilled air ,

An d - l ay , O restes like , across the tomb

A curl o f severed h ai r .

A V E A T Q U E V A L E

x 1v

’ n ow Therefore he too at thy soul s sunsetting ,

of God all suns and songs , he too bends down

h is To mix laurel with thy cypress crown , f f f And save thy dust rom blam e and rom orgetting . f The re ore he too , seeing al l thou wert and art ,

Comp assionate , with sad and sacred heart ,

Of h is Mourns thee m any ch ildren the last de ad , An d hallows with strange tears and alien si ghs

Thine unmelodious mouth and sunless eyes , And over thine irrevocable head

Shed light from the under sk ies .

And one weeps with hi m in the ways Lethean , And stains with te ars h er ch anging bosom chil l

o f That obscure Venus the hollow hi l l ,

f w a s That th ing trans ormed which the Cytherean , With l ips that lost their G recian l augh divine

f E r c in e Long since , and ace no more called y

A ghost , a bitter and l uxurious god . Thee also with fai r ﬂesh and Singing spell

s h e s a d Did , a and second prey , compe l I nto th e footless pl aces once m ore trod

And sh adows hot from h el l .

6 2 A V E A T Q U E V A L E

' V I

n ow ff And no s acred sta sh all break in blossom , No choral salutation lure to light A spirit sick with per fum e and sweet night ’ And love s tired eyes and hands an d b arren bosom .

fo r There is no help these things ; none to mend , f And non e to m ar ; not all our songs , O riend , f Will m ake death clear or m a ke li e durabl e . Howbeit with rose and ivy and wil d vine And with wild notes about th i s dust of thine At le ast I ﬁll the place where w hite dreams dwel l

And wre athe an unseen shrine .

XVII

if life w a s S leep ; and bitter to thee , pardon , I f sweet , give thanks ; thou h ast no m ore to l ive ;

is f . And to give th anks g oo d , and to orgive Out o f the mystic and th e mourn ful garden Where all day th rough thine h ands in barren b rai d

of Wove the Si ck ﬂowers secrecy and sh ade ,

o f s in Gree n buds sorrow and , and remnants grey ,

- - Sweet sm elling , pal e with poison , sanguine h earted , Passions th at sprang from sleep and th oughts th at sta r S h all death not bring u s all as thee one day Am ong the days departed ?

63 A V E A T Q U E V A L E

XVII I

n ow For thee , O a silent soul , my brother ,

f . Take at my hands this garland , and arewell f Thi n is th e lea , and chill the wintry smell , f And chill the solem n earth , a atal mother ,

With sadder th an the Niobe an womb , f And i n the hollow o her breasts a tomb . ’ h ow soe e r Content thee , , whose days are done ; f There lies not any troublous thing be ore ,

Nor Sigh t nor sound to war against thee m ore ,

su n For whom all winds are quiet as the ,

All w aters as the shore . M E M O R I A L V E R S E S

ON THE DEATH OF TH EOPHI LE GAUTIE R

? EAT H , wh at hast thou to do with m e S o saith

s et f of Love , with eyes agai nst the ace De ath ;

What have I done , O thou strong Death , to thee , ? Th at mine ow n lips Sh ould wither from thy breath

a s se a Though thou be blind as ﬁre o r the , Why shoul d thy w aves and storms m ake war on m e ?

I S for f it h ate thou hast to ﬁnd me air , for if O r desire to kiss , it might be ,

of ? My very mouth song , and kill me th ere

h is S o with keen rains ve xi ng crownless hair , f f f With bright eet bruised rom no delight ul way ,

Through darkness and the disenchanted air ,

’ Lost Love went weeping h alf a winter s day . sa An d the arm ed wind that smote him seemed to y ,

How d e w shall the live when the dawn is ﬂed , O r wherefore Should the Mayﬂower outl ast M ay ?

6 5 M E M O R I A L V E R S E S

Th en Death took Love by the right hand and said ,

S mil i ng : Come n o w and l ook upon thy dead .

Bu t o f Love cast down the glories h is eyes .

An d bow e d down like a ﬂower h is ﬂ o w e rle s s head .

a : And De a th spake , s ying What ails thee i n such wise , f ? B ei ng god , to shut thy sight up rom the skies

I f s e e ? thou canst not , h ast thou ears to hear ? O r is thy soul too a s a lea f that d ies

ﬂ e sh le ss of f Even as he spake with lips ear , f ’ B ut so t as sl eep sings in a tired m an s e ar ,

W its Be hol d , the inter w as not , and m ight

f f o f . Fell , and ruits broke orth the barren ye ar

of An d upon earth was l argess great light , And moving music Winged fo r world -wide ﬂight f And shapes and sounds o gods beheld and heard , ’ And day s foot se t upon the neck of night .

And with such song the hollow ways were stirred ’ of As a god s heart hidden in a bird , O r as the whole soul o f the su n in spring f - f S hou l d ﬁ nd ull utteran ce i n one ﬂower so t word ,

And all the season should break forth and sing ’ ﬂ o w e r s From one lips , i n one rose triumphing ; S uch b reath and l ight o f song as of a ﬂame

Made ears and Spirits o f them th at heard it ring .

66 M E M O R I A L V E R S E S

And Love beholding knew not fo r the s a m e f Th e sh ape th at l ed h i m , nor i n ace nor n am e ,

w a s o f f For h e brigh t and great th ews and air , ’

w a s . And i n Love s eyes he not De ath , but Fame

Not that grey g host whose li fe is empty and bare

of And his limbs moulde d out m ortal air , A cloud of ch ange that shi fts into a sh ower And dies and leaves n o lig h t for tim e to wear

h is B ut a god cl oth ed with own j oy and power , A god re — risen out of his mortal hour

of I mm ortal , king and lord ti me and Sp ace ,

With eyes that look on them as from a towe r .

And where he stood the p ale sepul ch ral pl ace

a s n e w f f Bloomed , li e m ight i n a bloodless ace , And whe re m en sorrowing cam e to seek a tomb

f fo r f With uneral ﬂowers and tears grie and grace ,

They s a w with light a s of a world i n bloom The portal o f the House o f Fam e illum e

of life The ways wherein we toiling tread ,

And watched the darkness a s a brand consu me .

And through the gates where rule th e deathless dead ’ Th e sou nd of a new Singer s soul w a s shed f That sang among his kins olk , and a b eam ’ S hot from the star on a n e w ruler s he ad .

67 M E M O R I AL V E R S E S

A new star lighting the Lethean stream , A n ew song mi xed into th e song suprem e f f Made o all souls o Singers and thei r might ,

That m akes o f life and time and death a dream .

Thy star , thy song , O soul th at in our sight ’ Wast as a sun th at m ade for m an s delight f so Flowers and all ruits i n season , being near ’ - f . The sun god s ace , our god that gives us light

To him o f all gods that we love or fear

Thou among all men by thy nam e wast dear , Dear to the god th at g ives us spirit o f song

To bind and burn all hearts of men th at h ear .

The god that makes men ’ s words too sweet and strong f For li e or time or death to do them wrong , Who sealed with h is thy spirit for a Sign f And ﬁlled it with his bre ath thy whole li e long .

Who m ade thy moist lip s ﬁery with n e w wine

f of Pressed rom th e grapes song the sovereign vine , And with al l love o f all things loveliest

Gave thy soul power to m ake them more divine .

Th at thou might’ st bre athe upon the breathless rest O f m arble , till the brows and lips and breast Felt fall from off them as a cancelled cu rse

That speechless sleep wherewith they lived opp re st .

M E M O R I A L V E R S E S

There all the crowned Hellenic heads , and there

The old gods who m ade men godlike as they were , f The lyri c lips where rom all songs take ﬁ re , f o . Live eyes , and light Apollonian h air

of There , round the sovereign passion that lyre

Whi ch th e stars hear and tremble with desire , The ninefol d light Pierian is m ade one

That here we see divided , and aspire ,

f S eeing , a ter this or th at crown to be won ;

of But where they hear the singing the sun , f All orm , all sound , all colour , and all thought

Are as one body and soul i n u nison .

Th ere the song sung shines as a picture wrought ,

sa The p ainted m ouths sing that on earth y nought , The carven limbs have sense of blood and growth

- And l arge eyed life th at seeks nor l acks not aught .

There al l the m usic of thy living mouth

of Lives , and all loves wrought thi ne h and i n youth And bound about the breasts and brows with gold

And coloured p al e or dusk from north or south .

of Fair living things m ade to thy will old ,

of o f Born thy lips , no birth s mortal mould , Th at in the world o f song about thee wait f Where thought and truth are one and m ani old .

7 0 M E M O R I A L V E R S E S

Within the grave n li ntels of the gate f That here divides our vision and our ate ,

of Th e dreams we walk in an d the truths Sleep ,

All sense and Spirit h ave li fe insep arate .

There wh at one thinks , is his to grasp and keep ;

There are no dreams , but very j oys to reap , f f No oiled desires that die be ore del ight ,

No fears to see across ou r joys and weep .

of There hast thou all thy will thought and sight ,

for for All hope h arvest , and all he aven ﬂight ; The sunrise o f whose golden -mouthed gl ad head

To p aler songless ghosts was heat and light .

Here where the sunset of our year i s re d

of of Men think thee as the summ er dead , f f f Gone orth be ore the snows , be ore thy day ,

f . With u nshod eet , with brows unch apleted

Couldst thou not wait till age had wound , they say , Round those wre athed b rows his soft white blossoms ? Nay

Why shouldst thou vex thy soul with this harsh air ,

- f a ? Thy bright winged soul , once ree to take its w y

’ Nor for men s reverence h adst thou need to we ar The holy ﬂower o f grey tim e-hallowed h air ; of Nor were it ﬁt th at aught thee grew old , f f Fair lover all thy days o all things ai r .

7 1 M E M O R I A L V E R S E S

And hear w e not thy words o f molte n gol d S inging ? or i s their light an d heat acold

? for Whereat men warmed their Spirits Nay , al l

These yet are with us , ours to hear and hol d .

The lovely l aughter , the clear tears , the call O f f love to love on ways where shadows all ,

of Through doors dim division and disguise , And musi c m ade o f doubts un musical ;

’ f 1 Th e love that caught strange light ro m de ath s own eyes , ’ And ﬁlled death s lips with ﬁery words and sighs , An d h al f asleep let feed from vei ns o f h is ’ - Her close red warm snake s mouth , Egypti an wise

o f 2 And that great night love more strange than this , ’ Wh en sh e that m ade th e whole worl d s bale and bl iss ’ of Made king the whole world s desire a Sl ave , And killed him in mid kingdom with a kiss ;

f f 3 Veiled loves that shi ted shapes and sh a ts , and gave , f Laughing , strange gi ts to h ands that durst not crave ,

- f of Flowers double blossomed , ruits scent a nd hue

- S weet as the bride bed , stranger than the grave ;

l 2 ne u . La Morte Amo u re u s e . U N it de C leop atre 3 M d e M a demoiselle aupin .

7 2 M E M O R I A L V E R S E S

All joys and won ders of ol d lives and new ’ That ever i n love s shi ne or sh adow grew , f f And all the grie wh ereo h e dreams and grieves , And all sweet roots fe d on his light and dew

of All these through thee our spirit sense perceives , f As thre ads in the u nseen woo thy music we aves ,

Birds caught and snared that ﬁll our ears with thee , - f - B ay blossoms i n thy wre ath o brow bound le aves .

’ Mixed with the m asque of death s ol d com edy

w e Though thou too pass , h ave here our ﬂowers , th at ’ For all the ﬂowers thou ga v st upon thee Shed

And p ass not crownless to Perseph one .

Blue lotus-blooms and white an d rosy-red

for We wind with poppies thy Silent head , An d on this m argin of the sundering sea

Leave thy sweet light to rise upon the dead .

7 3 S O N N E T

(WITH A COPY OF MAD EMOISELLE DE MAUPIN )

of HI S is the golden book Spirit and sense , The holy writ of be auty ; h e th at wrought Made it with dre ams and faultless words an d thought Th at seeks and ﬁnds and loses i n th e dense ’ Dim air of life th at be auty s excellence Wherewith love m akes one h our of life distraught

And all hours after follo w and ﬁn d not aught . ’ Here is that height o f all love s eminence Where m an m ay breathe but for a breathing -space An d feel his soul burn as an altar-ﬁ re of To the unknown God unachieved desire , And from the m iddle mystery of the pl ace of Watch lights that bre ak , hear sounds as a qui re , ’ But s e e not twice unveiled the veiled God s face .

7 4 A G E AN D S O N G

TO BARRY CO RNWALL)

N vai n men tell us tim e can alter f O ld loves or m ake ol d memories alter , ’ That with the old year th e old year s life closes . f The ol d dew still alls on th e old sweet ﬂowers ,

su n n e w -ﬂ e d e d Th e ol d revives the g hours ,

- The old sum m er rears th e n e w born roses .

Much m ore a Muse th at be ars upon her

w o f Raiment and wreath and ﬂo er h onour ,

Gathered long since an d long since woven , Fades not or falls as fall the vernal f Blossom s th at be ar no ruit etern al ,

By sum mer or winter ch arred or cloven .

No tim e casts down , no time upraises ,

S uch loves , such m emories , and such p raises ,

o f su n As need no grace or shower ,

7 5 A G E A N D S O N G

f f No saving screen rom rost or thunder , To tend and house around and under

The imperishabl e an d fearless ﬂower .

O ld th anks , ol d thoughts , old aspirations , ’ of Outlive m en s lives and lives n ations , for Dead , but one thing which survives

The in alie nable and unpriced tre asure ,

o f of The ol d joy power , the ol d pride pleasure , ’ That lives in light above me n s lives .

7 6

I N M E M O R Y O F B A R R Y C O R N W A L L

To the beauti ful veiled bright worl d where the gl ad

ghosts meet , f Child , ather , bridegroom and bride , and anguish and

rest ,

No soul Sh all pass of a singer than this m ore blest .

’ Blest for the years sweet sake that were ﬁlled and

brightened ,

As f f of a orest with birds , with the ruit and th e ﬂower his song ; ’ For the souls sake blest that h e ard , and thei r cares were

lightened , For the hearts ’ sake blest that h ave fostered his n am e so long ; By th e living and de ad lips blest that h ave loved his

nam e , And clothed with their praise and crowned with their

r f love fo am e .

f f f Ah , air and ragrant his am e as ﬂowers that close not ,

for for Th at shrink not by day heat or cold by night , As a thought in the heart shall increase when the heart ’ s f sel knows not ,

S hall endure in our ears as a sound , i n our eyes as a light ;

7 8 I N M E M O R Y O F B A R R Y C O R N W A L L

’ S h all wax with th e ye ars th at wane and the se asons

chime , AS a white rose thornless that grows in the garden of

time .

The sam e year calls , and one goes hence with anoth er , ’ And men sit s a d th at were gl ad for their sweet songs sake ;

The same year beckons , and elder with younger brothe r Takes m utely the cup from his h and th at w e all Sh al l

x take . They p ass ere the leaves be past or th e snows be com e

And th e birds are lou d , but th e lips th at outsang them

dumb .

f Ti me takes the m hom e that we loved , ai r nam es and f amous ,

f of To th e so t long sleep , to the broad sweet bosom death But the ﬂower of their souls he shall take not away to

Sham e us ,

Nor th e lips l ack song for ever that n ow l ack bre ath . For with us shall the music and perfu me th at die not

dwell , f Though the dead to our dead bid wel come , and we are

well .

S d D b d u u s 2 2 1 8 . y ney o ell die A g t , 7 4

7 9 E P I C E D E

E E (JAMES LO RIME R G RAHAM DI D AT FLO R NCE , 0 1 8 6 APRI L 3 , 7 )

I FE m ay give for love to death Little wh at are life ’s gifts worth To the dead wrapt round with earth ? Yet from lips of living breath f Sighs or words we are ain to give ,

All th at yet , while yet we live , f Li e m ay give for love to de ath .

so f De ad long be ore his day , Passed out o f th e Italian sun

To the dark wh ere all is done , o f Fallen upon th e verge May , H ere at life ’ s and April ’ s end How sh oul d song salute my friend Dead so long before his day ?

Not a kindlie r li fe or sweeter

Time , that lights and quench es m en ,

Now m ay quench or light again ,

8 0 E P I C E D E

Mi ngling with th e mysti c m etre ’ Woven of all m en s l ives with his

Not a clearer note th an this , f Not a kindlier li e or sweeter .

I n this he avenliest p art of earth

H e th at living loved the light ,

Light and song , m ay rest aright , if O ne in death , strange in birth , With th e de athless dead that m ake Life the lovelier for their sake f I n this he avenliest p art o e arth .

at Light , and song , and sleep l ast S truggling hands and suppli ant knees f Get no goodlier gi t th an these . f S ong th at holds rem embrance ast ,

Light th at lightens de ath , attend Round their graves who h ave to friend

. Light , and song , an d. Sleep at l ast

8 1 T O V I C T O R H U G O

for o f E had no children , who love men ,

of a s Being God , endured Gods such things thou , Father ; nor on his thunder-beate n b row w o e Fell such a as bows thine h ead again , f ’ Twice bowed be ore , though godlike , in m an s ken , And seen too high for any stroke to bow ’ S ave thi s o f some strange God s that ben ds it now

The third time with such weight as bruised it then . ’ f f u for Fain would grie speak , ain tter love s sake S om e word ; but com fort who might bid thee take ?

Wh at God in your own tongue sh all talk with thee , S howing h ow all souls that look upon the su n

for son S hall be thee one Spirit and thy , ’ And thy soul s chil d the soul of m an to be ?

a m / d r 1 6 j y 3 , 8 7 .

8 2 I N F E R I A E

of PRI NG , and the light and sound things on earth ’ Requi ckening , all within our green sea s girth ; A ti m e of passage or a time of birth

Fourscore ye ars Since as this year , ﬁrst and last .

is The sun all about the worl d we see , Th e bre ath an d strength of very spring ; an d w e f Live , love , an d eed on our own hearts ; but he

Whose heart fe d mine h as passed into th e p ast .

Past , all things born with sense and blood and breath ;

The ﬂesh hears nought that n ow the Spirit saith . If death h e like as birth and birth as de ath

The ﬁrst was fair more fair sh ould be the l ast .

Fourscore ye ars since , and com e but one month more The count were perfect of his mortal score Whose sail went seaward yesterday from Shore

To cross the l ast of m any an unsailed se a .

8 3 I N F E R I A E

f ’ Light , love and l abou r up to li e s l ast height , These three were stars unsetting i n his sight Even a s th e su n is li fe an d h eat and ligh t

And Sets not nor is dark w h en dark are w e .

f The li e , the Spirit , and the work were one

s a That here ah , who Sh all y , th at here are don e

f son Not I , that know not ; ather , not thy ,

For all the darkness of the night and sea .

Al ert ]: 1 8 . 5, 7 7

A B I R T H - S O N G

Ere thy lips l earn too soon f Their so t ﬁrst hum an tune ,

n ow S weet , but less sweet th an , And thy raised eyes to read Glad and good things indeed B ut none so sweet as thou thought li ft up their ﬂ ow e r-soft lids to se e Wh at life and love on earth

for f Bring thee gi ts at birth , none so good as thine who hast given u s thee

Now f , ere thy sense orget

The heaven th at ﬁlls it yet , Now , sleeping or awake ,

If u tho couldst tell , or we of Ask and be heard thee , ’ For love s undying sake , Fro m thy dumb lips divine and bright mute speech S uch news might tou ch our e ar Th at th en would burn to hear ’ Too high a message n ow for m an s to reach .

Ere the gold h air of corn

Had with ered wast thou born , To m ake the good tim e glad ; The time th at but l ast year Fell colder th an a tear

O n hearts and hopes turned sad ,

8 6 A B I R T H - S O N G

High hopes and hearts requickening in thy dawn , f - Even theirs whose li e springs , child , f Filled thine with li e and smiled ,

x But then wept blood for half their own withdrawn .

If death and birth be one ,

of And set with rise sun ,

And truth with dreams divine , S om e word might come with thee From over the still Se a

Deep hi d i n sh ade or shine ,

of Crossed by the crossing s ails death and birth , Word of som e sweet new thing

for Fit such lips to bring ,

of f of . S ome word love , som e a terthought e arth

If love be strong as death , By wh at so natural breath As thine could this be said ? By wh at so lovely way Coul d love send word to sa y He lives and is not dead ?

for Such word alone were ﬁt only thee , I f his and thine h ave met

Where spirits rise and set ,

His whom we see not , thine whom Scarce

1 O Ma x Br w d be I S h is w e e a r. liver do o n die Novem r 5, 7 4 , in t enti th y

8 7 A B I R T H - S O N G

- His there new born , as thou New-born among u s now ; f f - H is , here so ruit ul souled ,

Now veiled an d silent here , a Now dumb as thou l ast ye r , A ghost of one ye ar old I f lights th at ch ange their sphere in changing meet , S om e ray might his not give

To thine who wast to live , And m ake thy present with his past life sweet ?

Let dreams th at laugh or weep ,

s a d All glad and dre ams , sleep ; i Truth more than dre am s s dear .

Let thoughts th at change an d ﬂy , f S weet thoughts and swi t , go by ;

More than all thought is here . More than all hope can forge or m emory feign f Th e li e th at in our eyes , ’ of f Made out love s li e , lies ,

- And ﬂower like fe d with love for su n an d rai n .

Twice royal in its root The sweet sm all olive-Shoot H ere set in sacre d e arth ; Twice dowered with glorious grace From either h eaven -born race First blended i n its birth ;

8 8

E ' - V O T O

HEN their l ast hour shall rise

Pal e on these mortal eyes , f H ersel like one that dies , And kiss m e dying f The cold l ast kiss , and old Close round my limbs he r cold S oft sh ade as raiment rolle d

And le ave them lying ,

I f aught my soul would sa y Might move to hear m e pray The birth -god of my day

Th at h e might h earken ,

This grace my heart should crave , To ﬁnd no l andward grave

That worl dly springs m ake brave , ’ World s winters darken ,

Nor grow through gradual hours The cold bli nd seed of ﬂowers Made by n e w beam s and showers

From limbs th at moulder ,

90 E X V O T O

Nor take my p art with e arth , ’ But ﬁnd for death s new birth of A bed l arger girth ,

More chaste and colder .

’ for f Not earth s Spring an d all , ’ Not e arth s at heart , not all ’ Earth s m aking , though men call

Earth only m other , Not hers at he art sh e b are f Me , but thy ch ild , O air ’ S e a , and thy brother s care ,

The win d thy brother .

Yours was I born , and ye ,

s e a - se a The wind and the , Made all my soul in me

for A song ever , A h arp to string and smite ’ For love s sake of the bright ’ Win d and the sea s delight , To fail th em never

Not while on thi s side death I he ar wh at either saith ’ And drink of e ith e r s bre ath With heart ’ s th anksgivin g That in my veins like wi ne of S ome sh arp salt blood th ine ,

9 1 E X - V O T O

o f Some springtide pulse brine ,

Yet leaps up livi ng .

When thy sal t lips wellnigh ’ S ucked i n my m outh s l ast sigh , G rudged I so much to die This death a s others ? Was it no e ase to think The ch alice from whose brink Fate gave m e de ath to drink

' w a s ? thine , my mother s

-f The e too , the all ostering e arth , f Fai r as thy airest birth ,

More th an thy worthiest worth ,

a We c ll , we know thee , More s w eet an d just and dre ad Th an live men high est of he ad O r even thy holiest dead

Laid low below thee .

f The sunbe am on the shea , , f f The dew all on th e le a , f All joy , all grace , al l grie , Are thine for giving ; O f thee our loves are born ,

Our l ives and loves , th at mou rn

An d triumph ; tares with corn , Dead seed with living

9 2

E X -V O T O

f For wine i n easts , and then In ﬁelds for Sl aughter ; But thirst Sh all touch not hi m Who hath felt with sense grown

Rise , covering lip and limb , ’ The wan sea s water .

All ﬁ re of thirst that aches The salt se a cools and slakes

More th an all springs or l akes , Freshets or sh allows ; Wel ls where no be am can burn Through frondage of th e fern That hides from hart and h em

Th e h aunt it h allows .

Peace with all graves on e arth For death or sleep or birth

B e alway , one in worth One with another ;

But whe n my ti me sh all be ,

se a O mother , O my ,

Alive or dead , take m e ,

Me too , my mother .

94 A B A L L A D O F D R E A M L A N D

of H I D my he art i n a nest roses , ’ of Out th e su n s way , hidden apart ; f f ’ I n a so ter bed th an the so t white snow s is ,

Under th e roses I hi d my heart . ? Why would it Sleep not why should it start , Wh en never a leaf o f the rose-tree stirred ? What m ade sleep ﬂutter his wings and p art ? f O nly the song o a secret bird .

’ for W Lie still , I said , the ind s wing closes , ’ And mild leaves mufﬂ e the keen sun s d art ;

for Lie still , the wind on the warm se a dozes ,

And the wind is unquieter yet th an thou art . Does a thought i n thee still as a thorn ’s wound sm art ? Does the fang still fret thee of hope deferred ? Wh at bids the lids of thy sl eep dispart ? f Only the song o a secret bird .

’ The green l an d s n ame th at a charm encloses , ’ It never was writ i n the traveller s chart , f And sweet on its trees as the ruit that grows is , ’ I t neve r was sold i n the m erchant s m art .

95 A B A L L A D OF D R E A M L A N D

of its Th e swallows dreams through dim ﬁelds dart , ’ And sleep s are the tunes in its tree -tops he ard ; ’ No hound s note wakens the wildwood hart , f Only the song o a secret bird .

ENVOI

of I n the world dream s I have chosen my part , To sleep for a season and hear no word ’ ’ O f o f true love s truth or light love s art ,

O nly the song of a Secret bird .

A B A L L A D O F F R A N C O I S V I L L O N

PRINCE O F AL L B ALLAD -MAKERS

I RD o f the bitter bright grey golden morn of S carce risen upon the dusk dolorous years , First o f us all and sweetest singer born Whose fa r shri ll note the world o f new m en h ears Cleave the cold shuddering sh ade as twilight clears ; ’ When song new-born put off th e old worl d s attire f And elt its tune on her ch anged lips expire , Writ foremost on the roll of the m that came for of Fresh girt service the latter lyre , ’ m a d ' Villon , our sad bad gl ad brother s nam e

Alas th e joy , th e sorrow , and the scorn , f f That clothed thy li e with hopes and sins and ears , And gave thee stones for bread and tares for corn And plum e-plucked gaol-birds for thy starveling peers Till death clipt close their ﬂight with shame ful sh ears ; f Till shi ts cam e short and loves were hard to hire , When lilt of song nor twitch of twangling wire Could buy thee bread or kisses ; when light fame

b a le d S purned like a b all and th rough brake and briar , ’ ' Villon , our sad bad glad m ad brother s nam e

98 A B A L L A D O F F R A N C O I S V I L L O N

Poor splendid wings so frayed and soiled and torn ' Poor kind wild eyes so dashed w ith light quick tears f f Poor per ect voice , most blithe when most orlorn , Th at rings athwart the se a whence no m an steers Like joy -bells crossed with death - bells i n our e ars What fa r delight has cooled the fierce desire That like some ravenous bird was strong to tire f O n that rail flesh and soul consumed with flam e , f B ut le t more sweet th an roses to respire , ’ ? Villon , our s ad b ad gl ad m ad brother s n ame

ENVO I

of of te a rs Prince sweet songs m ade out and ﬁre , A h arlot was thy nurse , a God thy sire ;

S h am e soiled thy song , and song assoiled thy shame .

f f h a s But rom thy eet now de ath washed the mire ,

of Love reads out ﬁrst at he ad all our quire , ’ Villon , our s ad b ad glad m ad brother s nam e .

99 P A S T I C H E

O W the d ays are all gone over O f our singing , love by love r , Days of sum mer - coloured seas

Blown adrift th rough beam and breeze .

Now th e nights are all p ast ove r Of our dre am ing , dreams that hover

of f f I n a mist air alse things ,

Nights aﬂoat on wide wan wings .

N f for ow the loves with aith mother , f w for Now th e ears ith hope brother ,

S carce are with us as strange words , ’ Notes from songs of l ast year s birds .

N ow al l good th at comes or goes is ’ A o f la st S the smell year s roses , As the radiance i n our eyes ’ S hot from summ er s ere he dies .

I OO

B E F O R E S U N S E T

N the lower l ands of day

of O n the hither side night ,

There is nothing that wil l stay , There are all things so ft to Sight ; Lighted sh ade and shadowy light

I n the wayside and the way ,

Hours the sun has Spared to smite , f Flowers the rain h as le t to pl ay .

S hal l th ese hours run down and say No good thing of thee a n d me ? Tim e th at m ade us and will sl ay L augh s at love in m e and thee ; But if here the ﬂowers m ay see of O ne whole hour amorous breath ,

Tim e Sh all die , and love sh all b e

Lord as tim e w as over death .

1 0 2 S O N G

OVE l aid his sleepless he ad O n a thorny rosy bed ;

And his eyes with tears were red ,

And p ale his lips as the dead .

And fear and sorrow and scorn

h is f Kept w atch by head orlorn , Till the n ight was overworn

And the world was merry with morn .

And Joy cam e up w ith the day L ’ And kissed ove s lips as h e l ay , An d the watchers ghostly and grey Sped from his pillow away

a s And his eyes the dawn grew bright , And his lips waxed ruddy a s light

for Sorrow m ay reign a night ,

But day shall bring back delight .

1 0 3 A V I S I O N O F S P R I N G I N W I N T E R

se e TENDER time th at love thinks long to , S weet foot o f spring that with her footfall sows

of L ate snowlike ﬂowery le avings the snows , Be not too long i rresolute to be ; - ? O mother month , where h ave they hidden th ee Out of th e p ale tim e o f the ﬂ ow e rle ss rose

I reach my heart out toward the springtim e lands . f f I stretch my spirit orth to the air hours , The purplest of th e prime ;

I lean my soul down over them , with hands Made wide to take th e ghostly growth s of ﬂowers ;

I send my love back to the lovely tim e .

Wh ere h as th e greenwood hid thy gracious head ?

Veiled with wh at visions wh ile the grey world grieves ,

m u ﬂi e d o f Or with what sh adows green le aves , What warm i ntangible green shadows spread To sweete n the sweet twilight for thy bed ? Wh at Sleep enchants thee ? wh at delight deceives ?

1 04

A V I S I O N O F S P R I N G I N W I N T E R

\Vith little unblown b reasts and child -eyed looks

th e - Following , very m aid , the girl child spring , f Li ts windward her bright brows , f Dips her light eet in warm and moving brooks , ’ And kindles with her o w n mouth s colouring

Th e fe arful ﬁ rstlin gs of the plumeless boughs .

se e I seek thee sleeping , and awhile I , f Fair ace th at art not , how thy m aiden breath S hal l put at last the deadly days to d eath And fill the fields and fire the woods with thee And seaward hollows where my feet would be When heaven sh al l b e a r the word th at April saith

of To change the cold heart the we ary ti me , f To stir and so ten all the time to te ars , Tears joy fuller than mirth ’ As even to May s clear height the young days climb With feet not swifter than those fai r ﬁrst years

Whose ﬂowers revive not with thy ﬂowers on earth .

I would not bid thee , though I m ight , give back One good thing youth has given and borne away ; I crave not any com fort o f the day ’ is Th at not , nor on time s retrodden track

' Would turn to meet th e white - robed hours or bl ack That long since left me on their mortal w ay ;

1 0 6 A V I S I O N O F S P R I N G I N W I N T E R

Nor light nor love th at has been , nor the bre ath That comes with morning from the sun to be And sets light hope on fire f f for No ruit , no flower thought once too air death , f f f ’ No flower nor hour once allen rom l i e s green tree ,

No leaf once plucked or once fulﬁlled desire .

The morning song beneath the stars that ﬂed

With twilight through the moonless mountain air , While youth with burning lips and wreathless h air

su n w a s S ang toward the that to crown his head , f Rising ; the hopes that triumphed and ell dead , The sweet swi ft eyes and songs of hours that were ; ’ u for These m ay st tho not give b ack ever ; these , ’ AS at the sea s he art all h er wrecks lie waste , Lie deeper th an the se a ;

’ of c a se B ut ﬂowers thou m ay st , and winds , and hours , And all its April to the world thou m ay ’st

f . Give back , and hal my April back to me

1 0 7 C H O R I A M B I C S

f w a s OVE , what ailed thee to leave li e th at m ade ? lovely , we thought , with love

of f What sweet visions sleep lured thee away , down rom the light above ?

f of What strange aces dream s , voi ces that called , h ands

that were raise d to wave ,

f su n su n Lured or led thee , al as , out o th e , down to the less grave ?

' fe d Ah , thy lum inous eyes once was th eir light with the ﬁ re o f day ; Now thei r shadowy lids cover th em close , hush them

and hide away .

- ' Ah , thy snow colou red hands once were they chains , m ighty to bi nd m e fast ;

No w o f lov e no blood i n them burns , mindless , senseless

o f passion p ast .

f 'so for Ah , thy beauti ul hair was it once braided me , for m e

Now fo r is for death it crowned , only death , lover and f lord o thee .

1 0 8

A T P A R T I N G

O R a day and a night Love sang to us , played with us , Folded us round from the dark and the light ; And our he arts were fulﬁlled of the m usic he m ade with us Made with our h earts and our lips while he stayed with u s Stayed in mid p assage his pinions from ﬂigh t

For a day and a night .

From his foes th at kept watch with his wings h ad b e hidden f Covered us close rom th e eyes that woul d smite , From th e feet th at had tracked and the tongues th at h ad c h idde S heltering i n shade of the myrtles forbidden us S pirit an d ﬂesh growing one with deligh t

For a day and a night .

But h is wings will not rest and his feet will not stay for us Morning is h ere i n the joy of its might ; With his breath h as he Sweetened a night and a day for us

Now for let him pass , and the myrtles m ake way us ; Love can but last in us here at his height

For a day and a ni ght . A S O N G I N S E A S O N

H OU whose beauty Knows no duty D ue to love that moves thee never Thou whose m ercies ’ Are m en s cu rses , An d thy smile a scourge for ever ;

Thou that givest Death and livest O n the death of thy sweet giving ; Thou that sparest Not nor carest Though thy scorn leave no love living ;

Thou whose rootless Flowe r i s fruitless

As the pride its heart encloses ,

I I I A S O N G I N S E A S O N

But thine eyes are

AS May Skies are , And thy words like spoken roses ;

Thou whose grace is I n men ’ s faces Fierce and wayward as thy will Thou whose peerless r Eyes are te a less , I And thy thoughts as cold sweet lilies ;

Thou that takest Hearts and m akest of Wre cks loves to strew behind thee , Whom the swallow f S ure should ollow , Finding summer where we ﬁ nd thee ;

Thou th at w a k est

H earts and bre akest , f And thy broken he arts orgive thee , Th at wilt m ake no Pause and take no Gi ft that love for love might give thee ;

1 1 2

A S O N G I N S E A S O N

S ong h ad never

for S aved ever ,

the least of all their beauties .

All the golde n Names o f olden ’ Women yet by men s love cherished , Al l our dearest

Thoughts hol d ne arest ,

H ad they loved not , all had perished .

If no fruit is Of thy beauties ,

Tell me yet , since none m ay win th em , Wh at and wherefore Love should care for O f all good things hidden in them ?

XIII

Pai n for proﬁt of Comes but it , I f the lips that lure their lover ’s Hold no tre asure Past the measu re

O f the lightest hour th at hovers .

1 1 4 A S O N G I N S E A S O N

I f they give not O r forgive not f f for Gi ts or the ts grace or guerdon , L ove that misse s Fruit of k isses

Long will bear no thankless burden .

XV If they care not

Though love were not , If no breath of his burn through Joy must borrow f S ong rom sorrow ,

Fear te ach hope the way to w oo them .

Grie f has measures ft ’ S o as pleasure s ,

Fear h as moods that hope l ies deep in , h im S ongs to sing ,

Dreams to bring him , - And a red rose bed to sleep i n .

XVII Hope with fearless Looks and tearless Lies and l aughs too ne ar the thunder ;

1 1 5 A S O N G I N S E A S O N

Fe ar h ath sweeter Speech and meeter ’ For heart s love to hide hi m under .

XVII I

Joy by daytime Fills his playtime Full o f songs lou d mirth takes pride N ight and morrow Weave round sorrow

Thoughts as soft as sl eep to hide i n .

' I '

f Graceless aces ,

Loveless graces ,

Are but motes i n light th at quicken , S ands th at run down

Ere the sundown ,

- Rose leaves dead ere autum n sicken .

Fair and fruitless Ch arms are bootless ’ S pells to ward oﬂ age s peril ; Lips that give not

Love sh all live not ,

Eyes that meet not eyes are sterile .

1 1 6

T W O L E A D E RS

dr‘ e bb o v dAOI ( th or l or ﬁ u , m p u ' ’ N m b; wa ibes dwa t bes trrr e b ow r o n . u , ¢p u d

- of GREAT and wise , clear souled and h igh heart , of O ne the l ast ﬂower Catholic love , that grows

Ami d b are thorns their only thornless rose , ’ From th e ﬁerce juggling of the priests loud m art

Yet alie n , yet unspotte d an d ap art From the blind h ard foul rout whose sh am eless shows Mock the sweet heaven whose secret no m an knows ’ With prayers and curses and the soothsayer s art ; One like a storm -god of th e northern foam

of th a t b re a sts s ea Strong , wrought rock and breaks the for And thunders back its thunder , rhyme rhym e o f tim e Answering , as though to outroar the tides And bid the world ’ s wave back what song should be Th eirs that with praise would bring and Sing you home ?

1 1 8 T W O L E A D E R S

With all ou r hearts we praise you whom ye hate ,

fo r High soul s that h ate us ; our hopes are higher ,

of And higher than yours the goal our desire ,

Though high your ends be as your hearts are gre at .

of of Your worl d Gods and kings , shrine and state ,

W s of w f a the night hen hope and ear stood nigher , Wh erein men walked by light of stars and ﬁre

Till m an by day stood equ al with his fate . f Honour not h ate we give you , love not e ar , of Last prophets p ast kind , who ﬁll th e dome Of w great dead Gods ith wrath and w ail , nor h ear ’ ’ : Tim e s word an d m an s Go h onoure d hence , go hom e , ’ Night s ch ildless children ; here your hour is done ; ’

su n . Pass with th e stars , and le ave us with the

1 1 9 V I C T O R H U G O I N 1 8 7 7

’ D az z s I see su s ? le mine eye , or do three n

- su n d a w n of BOVE the spring tide the year , of A sunlike star , not born d ay or night ,

f of Filled the air heaven spring with h e avenlier l ight , M ade of all ages orbed i n one sole sphere ’ Whose light was as a Titan s smile or tear ;

fl ow e rlik e Then rose a ray more , starry white , ’ Like a child s eye grown lovelier with delight , ’ Sweet as a child s heart-lightening l augh to hear ; f And last a fire rom heaven , a fiery rain ’ AS of f God s wrath on the unclean cities , ell And lit the shuddering sh ades of hal f-seen hell That sh rank before it and were cloven i n twai n ;

A beacon ﬁred by lightnin g , whence all tim e

S ees red th e bare black ruins of a crime .

1 2 0

T R I A D S

of sk H E word the sun to the y ,

o f Th e word the wind to the sea ,

o f The word the moon to th e night , What m ay it be ?

of The sense to the ﬂower the ﬂy , of Th e sense the bi rd to the tree , of The sense to the cloud the light , Who can tell m e ?

o f The song the ﬁelds to the kye ,

o f The song the lime to th e bee , of The song th e depth to th e heigh t , Who knows all three ?

1 2 2 T R I A D S

The message of April to May Th at M ay sends on into June And June gives out to July For birthday boon

of Th e delight the dawn in the day ,

of The delight the day in th e noon , The delight of a song i n a sigh Th at bre aks the tun e ;

of Th e secret p assing away , of of The cost the ch ange the moon ,

None knows it with ear or with eye ,

But all will soon .

1 2 3 T R I A D S

’ for The live w ave s love the shore , ’ for a s The Shore s the wave it dies , Th e love of the thunder-ﬁ re

Th at sears the skies ,

f We sh al l know not though li e wax hoar , f Till all li e , spent into Sigh s , Burn out as consu med with desire ’ O f death s strange eyes ;

Till the secret be secret no m ore

I n o f the light one hour as it ﬂies , Be the hour as of sun s that expi re

Or suns that rise .

1 2 4

F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

f Through ell and moorl and , - f An d salt sea oreland , Our noisy norl and Resounds and rings ; Waste waves thereunder

Are blown in sunder , And winds m ake thunder With clou dw id e wings ; S e a-drift m akes dimmer ’ The beacon s glimm er ; Nor sail nor Swim m er Can try the tides ; And snowdrifts thicken

Where , when leaves qui cken ,

Under the heather the sundew hides .

Green l and and red land ,

Moorside and headland ,

Are white as de ad l and , Are all as one ; Nor honie d heath er

Nor bells to gathe r , Fair with fair weather And faith ful sun

1 2 6 F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

Fierce frost h as e aten All ﬂowers that sweete n The fells rai n -beaten And winds th eir foes H ave m ade the snow ’ s bed Down i n the rose-be d ; D ’ eep i n the snow s be d bury the rose .

Bury her deeper Th an any sleeper ; S weet dreams will keep her

All day , all night ; Though sleep benumb h er ’ An d tim e o e rcom e her

of Sh e dream s summ er ,

An d takes delight , Dream ing and sl eeping ’ I n love s good keeping , While rain i s weeping And no leaves cling ; Winds will com e bringing her f Com ort , and singing her S tories and songs and good news of the

Draw the white curtai n

Close , and b e certain

1 2 7 O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

S h e takes no hurt in Her soft low bed ; f She eels no colder ,

And grows not older , Though snows enfol d her From foot to h ead ; Sh e turns not chilly Like weed and lily I n m arsh or hilly

High w atershed , Or gree n soft island I n l akes of highl and ;

sleeps awhile , and she is not dead .

For all the hours ,

su n Com e , com e showers ,

f of Are riends ﬂowers , An d fairies all f Whe n rost entrapped her , They cam e and l apped her

I n leaves , and wrapped he r With shroud and pall ;

I n re d leaves wound her , With dead l eaves boun d he r

Dead brows , and round her A death -knell ran g ;

1 2 8

F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

Ere sunset gl ances f O n oam that d ances , Through lowering l ances O f bright white rain And m ake your pl aytime Of ’ wi nter s d aytim e , As if th e Maytim e Were here to sing ; AS if the snowballs f Were so t like blowballs ,

Blown i n a m ist from the stalk i n spring .

Each reed that grows in Our stream is frozen

The . ﬁelds it ﬂows i n Are hard and black ; The water-fairy Waits wise and wary Till tim e shall vary

An d thaws com e b ack . ’ O Sister , water ,

The wind besought h er , O twi n -born daughter Of Spring with m e ,

S tay with m e , pl ay with m e ,

Take th e warm way with m e , ’ S traight for the sum m er and oversea .

1 3 0 F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

But winds will vary , And wise and wary Th e p atient fairy Of water waits

All Shrunk and wizen ,

I n i ron prison , Till spring re-risen Unbar th e gates ;

Till , as with clamour O f axe and h am me r , Ch ained streams th at stam mer And struggle i n straits

Burst bonds th at shiver , An d thaws deliver

roaring river in stormy Sp ates .

I n ﬁerce March we ather

White w aves break tether , An d whirled together

At either h and , f Like weeds upli ted , The tree -trunks ri fted f I n sp ars are dri ted , f Like oam or Sand ,

1 3 1 O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N

Past swamp and sallow

- And reed beds callow ,

Through pool and Sh al low ,

To wind and lee ,

— Till , no more tongue tied , Full ﬂood and young tide

Roar down the rapids an d storm the se a .

As m en ’ s cheeks faded

O n Shores invaded , When shorewards waded Th e lords o f ﬁght Whe n chu rl and craven S a w hard on haven The wide-winged rave n At m ainm ast height

' Whe n m onks a ﬂ righ te d To windward sighted The birds full -ﬂ igh te d O f swi ft sea-kings ; S o earth turns p ale r When S torm the sailor S teers i n with a roar i n th e race

XIII

0 - strong se a sailor , Whose cheek turns pale r

1 3 2

O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

Turn back the waves for u s f for u s Dig no resh graves ,

\ f f f . Vind , i n th e m ani old gul s o th e deep

- O stout north easter ,

- - S ea king , l and waster ,

For all thi ne h aste , or

Thy stormy skill ,

Yet hadst thou never ,

For all ende avour , S trength to dissever

Or strength to Spill , S ave of h is giving

Who gave our l iving , Whose hands are weaving What ours fulﬁl ; Whose feet tread under The storm s and thunder ; m ade our wonder to work his

His years and hours , ’ H is world s blind powers ,

His stars and ﬂowers ,

His nights and days ,

1 34 O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

- S e a tide and river ,

And waves that shiver ,

Praise God , th e giver

n O f to gu es to praise . Winds i n their blowing And fruits in growing ;

its Time in going , While time sh all b e

I n death and l iving ,

With one thanksgivi ng ,

Praise h i m whose h and the strength o f the se a .

I 3 S F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

SPRING I N TUSCANY

O SE-RED lilies th at bloom on th e ban ner ; Rose -ch eeked gardens th at revel in spring ;

- Rose mouthed acaci as that l augh as they climb , ’ Like plum es for a queen s h and fashioned to fa n her f ’ With wind more so t th an a wild dove s win g , What do they sing i n the spring of th eir tim e ?

I f this be the rose that th e worl d hears Singi ng , f f So t in the so t night , loud i n th e day , Songs for the ﬁ re -ﬂ ie s to dance a s they hea r ;

I f of that be the song th e nightingale , springing f of Forth i n the orm a rose i n May , ? What do th ey say of th e way of the year

of w a o f What the y th e world gone M aying ,

of o f What the work the buds i n the bowers , of of What the will the wind on the wall ,

-ﬂ ow e rs Fl uttering the wall , sighing and pl aying ,

Shrinking agai n as a bird th at cowers , ? Thinking o f hours whe n the ﬂowers h ave to fal l

1 36

F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

An d Pisa broods on her dead , not mourning , For love of her loveliness given the m i n fee ; And Prato gleams with the gl ad monk ’ s gift Whose hand was there as the h and of morni ng ; ’ s et And S iena , in the sand s red sea , f f ’ Li ts lo tie r her he ad than the red sand s drift .

fa r f - An d to the air south westward lightens ,

Girdled and sandalle d and plumed with ﬂowers ,

- At sunset over the love lit l ands , ’ - The hill side s crown where the wil d hill brightens , ’ of f S aint Fina s town the Beauti ul Towers ,

H ailing th e su n with a hu ndred h ands .

of d e a rlie st L an d us all that have loved thee ,

of of Mother men that were lords m an , ’ Whose n ame in the world s heart works as a spell , ’ of My l ast song s light , an d the star mine e arliest ,

As f w h o for we turn rom thee , sweet , wast ours a span ,

Fare well we m ay not who say farewell . F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

S UMMER I N AUVE RGNE

HE su n d a w n fills the l and Ful l as a feaster ’ s hand Fills full with bloom of bl and B right win e his cup ; Flows full to flood th at fills From the arch of air it thrills Those rust-red iron hills

With morning up .

D awn , as a p anther springs , With fierce and fi re-fl e dge d wings Leaps on the l and th at rings From her bright feet Through all its l ava-bl ack Cones that cast answer back And cliffs of footless track

Where thunders meet .

I 39 F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

Th e light speaks wide and loud From deeps blown clean o f cloud As though day ’ s heart were prou d ’ And heaven s were glad ; The towers brown — striped an d grey Take ﬁre fro m heaven of day AS though the prayers they pray

Their answers had .

Higher i n these high ﬁrst hours Wax all the keen church towers And higher all hearts of ours ’ Than the old hills crown , Higher th an the pill ared h eight Of th at strange cliﬂ l sid e bright With b asalt towers whose m ight

Strong time bows down .

And the old ﬁerce ruin there Of the old wild princes ’ lair Whose blood i n min e hath share Gapes gaunt and great Toward heaven th at long ago Watched all the wan l and ’ s woe Whereon the wind would blow

Of their bleak h ate .

De ad are those deeds ; but yet Their memory seems to fret

1 40

F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

AUTUMN I N C O RNWALL

H E year lies fallen and faded ff O n cli s by clouds invaded ,

of With tongues storm s upbraided , With wrath of waves b edin n e d ;

And inl and , wild with warning ,

As f in dea ears or scorning , The cl arion even and morning

— Rings of the south west wind .

The wild bents wane and wither I n bl asts whose b reath bows hither

- Thei r grey grown heads and th ither , Unblest of rain or sun ; The pale ﬁerce he avens are crowded

With sh apes like dream s beclouded , As though the old ye ar enshrouded

f c . Lay , long ere li e were lone

1 4 2 F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

- - Full charged with old world wonders , From dusk Tintagel thunders A note that smites and sunders The hard frore ﬁelds of air ; A trumpet stormier-sounded Than once from lists rebounded When strong m en Sense-confounded

Fell thick i n tourney there .

From scarce a duskier dwelling S uch notes of wail rose welling

Through the outer darkness , telling I n the awful singer ’ s e ars

What souls the darkness covers , - of What love lost souls lovers , Wh ose cry still h angs and hovers ’ I n each m an s born that b e a rs .

For there by Hector ’ s brother And yet some thousand other H e that had grie f to mother ’ Passed pale from D ante s sight ; f f With one ast linked as earless ,

Perch ance , there only tearless ;

I seult and Tristram , peerless

And perfect queen and knight .

1 43 F O U R S O N G S O F F O U R S E A S O N S

A shrill -winged sound come s ﬂying

a s o f North , wild souls crying of The cry things undying , That know wh at life must be ’ Or as the old year s heart , stricken Too sore fo r hope to quicke n

By thoughts like thorns that thi cken ,

se a . B roke , breaking with the

1 44

T H E W H I T E C Z A R

fo r Cal l clear water , wash thine h ands , be clean ,

IV/z a l is [ru t/z Cry , O Pilate ; thou sh alt know

for H aply too soon , and gnash thy teeth woe Ere the outer d arkness take thee round unseen That hides the red ghosts of thy race obscene Bound nin e times round with h ell ’s most dolorous And i n its pools thy crownless head lie low By h is of S pai n who dared an English queen

f for With hal a world to h earte n him ﬁght , Till the wind gave his warriors and their might To shipwreck and the corpse -e ncumbered s e a

w a x B ut thou , take heed , ere yet thy lips white ,

so Lest as it w as with Philip it be , f f o o . O white n am e and red hand , with thee R I Z P A H

h ow OW many sons , many generations ,

For how long ye ars h ast thou bewept , and known

of of Nor end torment nor surcease moan ,

f of Rachel or Rizpah , wo ullest nations ,

of Crowned with the crow ning Sign desol ations , And couldst not even scare OII with hand or groan Those carrion bi rds devouring bone by bone The ch ildren of thy thousand tribul ations ? Thou wast our warrior once ; thy sons long dead foe f Against a less oul than this m ade he ad , f Pol and , in ye ars th at soun d an d shi ne a ar ; ’ Ere the e ast behel d i n thy bright sword-bl ade s stead The rotten corpse -light of the Russi an star

n l v That lights towards hell his bo ds a e s and th eir Cz ar .

1 47 T O L O U I S K O S S U T H

’ IG HT of f o w n our athers eyes , and in our

o f 'for S tar the unsetting sunset thy name , That on th e front o f noon was a s a ﬂame I n the great year nigh twenty years agone Wh en a l l the h e avens o f Europe shook and shone

its f With stormy w ind and lightning , keeps am e And bears its witness al l day through the sam e

No t fo r past days and gre at deeds p ast alone ,

Kossuth , we praise thee as our Landor praised , n ow But that too we k now thy voice upraised , of of Thy voice , the trumpet the truth God , ’ - Thine hand , the thunder bearer s , raised to smite ’ As with heaven s lightning for a sword and ’ Men s h ead s abased be fore the Muscovite .

1 18

TH E COMPLAINT O F THE FAI R AR MOURE SS

\V o u ld give m e gol d and gold enough ,

Though sorrow his very heart had riven , To w in from m e such wage thereof

AS n ow no thie f would take if given .

of I w as right ch ary the s ame , f God wot it was my great olly ,

of Sl o f For love one y knave them , Good store of that same sweet h ad W For all my subtle iles , perdie , God wot I loved him well enow ;

Right evilly he h andled me ,

But he loved well my gold , I trow .

a n d Though I gat bruises green bl ack , I loved him n ever th e less a jot ;

b e Though bound burdens on my b ack , If he said Kiss m e ' and h eed it not f Right littl e pain I elt , God wot , ’ \ f f f s o Vhen th at ou l thie s mouth , ound sweet , Kissed me Much good th e re o f I got '

in I keep the s and the shame o f it .

1 50 T HE COMPLAINT OF T HE FAI R ARMO URE SS

And h e died thirty ye ar agone .

I am old now , no sweet thing to see ;

By God , though , when I think thereon , ’ of And that good gl ad tim e , woe s m e , An d stare upon my changed body

h a s S tark naked , that bee n so sweet ,

Lean , wizen , like a sm all dry tree ,

I am nigh mad w ith th e pain of it .

f f ’ Where is my aultless orehead s white , f f The li ted eyebrows , so t gold hair ,

o f Eyes wide ap art and keen sight , With subtle skill in th e amorous air ; f The straight nose , great nor sm all , but air , o f The sm al l carved ears sh apeliest growth ,

Chi n d i mpling , colour good to wear , And sweet red sple ndi d k issing mouth ?

The sh apely slender Shoulders sm all ,

Long arm s , h ands wrought i n glorious wise ,

Round little bre asts , th e hips with al

f o f o f siz e H igh , ull ﬂesh , not scant ,

1 51 T HE COMPLAINT OF T HE FAI R AR MOUR ESS

Fit fo r all amorous m asteries ;

ﬁ t ﬁ

VII I

f A writhled orehead , hair gone grey ,

Falle n eyebrows , eye s gone blind and red ,

Their l augh s and looks all fled away , ’ Yea , all that smote men s hearts are fled ; f f The bowe d nose , allen rom goodlihe ad ; Foul flapping e ars like water-fl a gs ;

Peaked chin , and cheeks all waste and dead , And lips th at are tw o Skinny rags

Thus endeth all th e beauty of u s .

The arms m ade short , the hands m ade lean ,

The shoulders bowed and ruinous , ' f Th e breasts , al ack all allen i n ;

Th e ﬂanks too , like th e breasts , grown thi n

1 52

A D O U B L E B A L L A D O F G O O D C O U N S E L

O \V o f lov e take your ﬁll and glee , And a fter balls and b anquets hie ; ’ for fe e I n th e end ye ll get no good , But just heads broke n by and by ; Light loves m ake beasts of men that sigh ;

f of They changed the aith Solomon , And left not S amson lights to spy ; Good luck h a s h e that deals with none

of Sweet Orpheus , lord m instrelsy , For this with ﬂute and pipe cam e nigh ’ The danger of the dog s heads th ree That ravening at hell ’ s door doth lie

f Sh Fain was Narcissus , air and y , ’ For love s love lightly lost and won , I n a deep well to drown and die ; Good luck h a s he that deal s with none

of S ardan a , ﬂower chival ry ,

Who conquered Crete with horn and cry , For this w a s fai n a m ai d to be And learn with girl s the thre ad to ply ;

King David , wise in prophecy , Forgot the fear of God for one

1 54 A DOUB LE BALLAD OF GO O D COUNS EL

S een washing either sh apely thigh Good luck has h e that deals with none

f For this di d Am non , cra tily

of o f Feigning to eat cakes rye ,

D eﬂ ow e r f se e his sister air to , Which w as foul incest ; and hereby

Wa s H erod m oved , it is no lie , To lop the head of B aptist John For d ance and jig and psaltery ; Good luck h a s h e that deals with none

of m self I Next y tell , poor me , Ho w thrashed like clothes at wash w a s I

Stark naked , I m ust needs agree ; Wh o m ade m e eat so sour a pie But Katheri ne of Vaucelles ? thereby Noé took thi rd part of that fu n S uch wedding-gloves are ill to buy ; Good luck has he th at deals with none

But for th at young m an fair and free

To p ass those young m aids lightly by ,

Nay , woul d you burn him quick , not he ;

- fr Like broom horsed witches though he y , They are sweet as civet in his eye ; ’ f But trust them , and you re ooled anon ; low For white or brown , an d or h igh , Good luck h a s h e that deal s with none '

I SS F R A G M E N T O N D E A T H

ND Paris be it or Helen dying ,

w . Who dies soever , dies ith pain

for He th at lacks breath and wind sighing , His gall bursts on his heart ; and the n ' He swe ats , God knows wh at sweat again , No m an m ay e ase hi m of his grief ; w f Child , brother , sister , non e ere ai n

To bail hi m thence for his relief .

Death m akes hi m sh udder , swoon , wax pale ,

Nose bend , veins stretch , and breath surrender , f f Neck Swell , ﬂesh so ten , j oints that ail

Crack their strai ne d nerves and arteries slender . ’ f o O wom an s body ound s tender , ’ so S mooth , sweet , precious in men s eyes , Must thou too bear such count to rende r ? Y e s or pass quick into the skies .

’ I n th e a h re ol w s V s as a ss Ba lla d origin l e f lo illon m terpiece , the m tchle o [be L a di es o Old Tu ne so a a b a l us f f , incomp r ly rendered in the m rvel o ver Mr as s o o f . ss oll w its u b su i n Ro etti ; f o ed in t rn y the cceeding poem , inferior to its c o mp a ni o n a s is my a ttempt a t tra n sl a tion of it to h is tri u mph in th a t - n A . . a d a e r ﬁ l . C S higher h rd e d . ]

1 56

BALLAD OF T H E LORDS OF O LD TI ME

NO m ore to s a y Of th em I list ;

’ Tis all but vain , all dead and done

For death m ay no m an born resist ,

Nor m ake appeal when death comes on . I m ake yet one more question ;

’ \V h e re s of fa r ? Lancelot , king Bohain ’ ? Where s he whose grandson called hi m son

Even with th e good knight C h a rle m a in .

\V h e re is G u e sc lin ? , the good Breton

of - The lord the eastern mountain ch ain , ? And the good l ate duke o f Ale n gon

Even with the good knight C h a rle m a in .

1 58 B A L L A D O F T H E W O M E N O F P A R I S

L BE IT the Venice girls get praise

For their sweet speech and tender air , And though the old women have wise ways

O f h ff for c a ering amorous ware ,

Yet at my peril dare I swear , ’ S earch Rome , where God s grace m ainly tarries ,

Florence and S avoy , everywhere , ’ ’ There s no good girl s lip out o f Paris .

a s f Th e Naples wom en , olk prattle , Are sweetly spoke n and subtle enough

Germ an girls are good at tattle , And Prussians m ake their boast thereof ; for Take Egypt the next remove ,

Or th at waste l and th e Tartar h arries ,

for o f S pain or Greece , the m atter love , ’ ’ Th ere s no good girl s lip out of Paris .

f B reton an d S wiss know nought o th e m atter , Gascony girls or girls of Toulouse ; ’ Tw o ﬁ sh w om e n with a hal f- hour s chatter Would shut them up by threes and twos ;

I S9 B A L L A D O F T I I E W O M E N O F P A R I S

Cal ais , Lorraine , and all th eir crews , (N a mes enow the mad song marries )

h s England and Picardy , search the m and c oo e , ’ ’ There s no good girl s lip out of Paris .

Prince , give praise to our French ladies For the sweet sound thei r spe aking carries ; ’ Twixt Rom e and Cadiz m any a m aid is , ’ f But no good girl s lip out o Paris .

1 60

BALLAD WRITTEN FO R A B RI DEGRO OM

f And , which is m ore , when grie about me clings ’ f o f Th rough Fortune s ﬁt or ume j ealousy , Your sweet kind eye beats down her th reatenings

As wind doth smoke such power sits i n your eye . Thus in your ﬁel d my seed o f harvestry

for f is Thrives , the ruit like me that I set ; God bids m e tend it with good husbandry ;

This is the end fo r which we twai n are m et .

Pri ncess , give e ar to this my summ ary ; ’ of f That heart mine your heart s love should orget , Shall never be like trust i n you put I

This is the e nd for which we t wain are met .

1 6 2 B A L L A D A G A I N S T T H E E N E M I E S O F F R A N C E

AY f he all i n with beasts that scatter ﬁ re ,

of old Like Jason , when he sought the ﬂeece g , f O r change rom m an to beast three years entire , As King Nebu ch adnezz ar did of old ; Or else h ave ti m es as sh ameful and a s b ad As Troj an folk for ravished Helen h ad ; Or gul fed with Proserpine and Tantalus ’ fen Let hell s deep devour him dolorous , ’ ’ su ﬂ era n c e With worse to be ar than Job s worst ,

' - w ith D ae d a lu s Bou nd in his prison m aze , Who could wish evil to th e state o f France

b e f May our months , like bitterns in the m ire , Howl with he ad downmost i n th e l ake -springs O r to bear harness like strong bulls for hire To the Gre at Turk fo r money down be sold ;

Or thirty years like Magdalen live sad , With neither wool nor web of line n cl ad ; ’ D rown like Narciss , or swing down pendulous

Like Absalom with locks luxurious , Or liker Judas fallen to reprobance

O r ﬁnd such death as S imon sorcerous , Who could wish evil to the state o f France '

1 6 3 BALLAD AGAINST ENEM IES OF FRANCE

’ o f O c ta x ia n s May the ol d times com e ﬁerce ire , And i n h is bel ly molten coi n be tol d ;

May he like Victor in the m ill expire ,

O II d Crushed between m oving m illstones h im rolle ,

se a Or i n deep drench ed breathless , more adrad ’ Than i n the whale s bulk Jonas , when God bade ’ ’ f - From Phoebus light , rom Juno s treasure house

f of Driven , and rom joys Ve nus amorous ,

o f An d cursed God most high to the uttera nce ,

AS w a s the Syrian king Antiochus , Who could wish evil to the state of Fran ce

ENVOY

- o f o P rince , may the bright winged brood lus ’ To sea- ki ng Glaucus wild wood cavernous ’ f of Bear him bere t pe ace and hope s least gl ance ,

is o f worthless he to get good us , \Vho coul d wish evil to the state o f France

I 64

D I S P U T E O F H E A R T A N D B O D Y

o f it . I h ave the sorrow , and thou the sm art

f of Wert thou a poor mad ool or weak wit ,

’ Then might st thou plead this pretext with thine heart ; if f But thou know not good rom evil a whit , a s Either thy he ad is hard stone to hit ,

Or shame , not honour , gives thee most content . What canst thou answer to this argument ?

When I am de ad I shall be well at e ase .

God 'what good luck Thou art over eloquent .

- I s a y no more . I care not though thou ce ase .

— Whence is this ill ? From sorrow and not from sin .

for When saturn p acked my wallet up me ,

I well believe he put these ills therein .

o f ? Fool , wilt thou m ake thy servant lord the e ’ He ar now the wise king s counsel ; thus saith b e ; All power upon the stars a wise man hath ;

There is no pl anet that sh al l do him scathe .

I d e c re a s e . Nay , as they m ade m e I grow and ’ — Wh at say st thou ? Tr u ly this i s all my faith .

— I say no more . I care not though thou cease .

Wouldst thou live still ? — God help me that I may Then thou must — What ? turn penitent and pray ? ? Read always — What — Grave words and good to s a y ;

off of f . Leave the ways ools , lest th ey displease

— Good ; I will do it Wilt thou rem embe r ? Yea .

Abide not till there come an evil day .

— I say no more . I care not though thou cease .

1 66 E P I S T L E I N F O R M O F A B A L L A D T O H I S F R I E N D S

f AVE pity , pity , riends , have pity on m e ,

of Thus much at least , m ay it please you , you r grace I lie not under h azel or h awthorn -tree ’ Down i n this dungeon ditch , mine exile s place f f ’ f By leave o God and ortune s oul disgrace . f Girls , lovers , gl ad young olk and newly wed , ’ Jumpers and jugglers , tumbling heel o er head ,

f a s - Swi t as a d art , and Sh arp needle ware ,

Throats clear as bells that ring the kine to shed , f ? Your poor ol d riend , what , will you leave him there

S ingers th at si ng at pleasure , l awlessly ,

of Light , l aughing , gay word and deed , th at race And run like folk light-witted a s ye be

And h ave i n hand nor current coin nor base , ’

for n ow h e s . Ye wait too long , dying apace of Rhymers lays and roundels sung an d re ad , ’ Ye ll brew him broth too l ate when he lies dead . f Nor wind nor lightning , sunbeam not resh air , ’ May pierce the thick wall s bound where lies h is bed ; f ? Your poor ol d riend , wh at , will you le ave hi m th ere

1 6 7 E P I S T L E I N F O R M O F A B A L L A D

f f f O noble olk rom tithes and taxes ree ,

Come and behol d hi m i n this piteous case ,

fe e Ye that nor king nor emperor holds i n , But only God i n he ave n ; behold his face f Who needs must ast , S undays and holidays , Which m akes his teeth like rakes ; and wh en he h ath fe d

for With neve r a cake banquet but dry bread , h i f Must drench s bowels with much col d w atery are ,

' low With board nor stool , but on e arth instead ; f ? Your poor old riend , wh at , will you le ave him there

f - f Princes a ore nam ed , old and young oresaid , ’ th e Get me king s seal and my pardon sped , And hoist me in some b asket up with care

S o swine will help each other ill bested ,

For where one sque aks they run i n h eaps ahead . f ? Your poor old riend , wh at , will you le ave him there

1 68

E P IT A P H I N F O R M O F A B A L L A D

That hi s grace be not a s a dry well - head ’ u s f For us , nor let hell s thu nder on all ;

u s We are dead , let no m an h arry or vex dead ,

But pray to God th at h e forgive us al l .

The rain h as washed and l aundered us all ﬁve ,

su n And the dried and bl ackened ; ye a , perdie , Ravens and pies with beaks th at rend and rive

’ oﬂ for fe e H ave dug our eyes out , and plucked w f Our be ards and eyebro s ; never are we ree ,

Not once , to rest ; but here and there still sped , ’ its W Drive at wild will by the ind s ch ange led , More peck ed of birds than fruits on garden -wall ;

’ ‘ fo r b e sa id Men , God s love , let no gibe here ,

But pray to God that he forgive us all .

of Pri nce J esus , th at all art lord and head ,

u s Keep , that hell be not our bitter bed ; ’ We h ave nought to do in su ch a m aster s h all .

f o f fellow h e a d Be not ye there ore our ,

But pray to God th at h e forgive us all .

1 7 0 F R O M V I C T O R H U G O

AK E heed of this sm all child of e arth '

He is great : he b a th in hi m God m ost high . Childre n before their ﬂ esh ly birth k Are lights alive in the blue S y .

I n our light bitter world o f wrong

They come ; God gives us them awhile .

His speech is in their stam mering tongue ,

And his forgiveness in thei r smile .

Th eir sweet light rests upon our eyes .

Al as their right to joy is pl ai n . If they are hungry , Paradise

if . Weeps , and , col d , Heaven thrills with pain

The want that saps their Sinless ﬂower ’ Speaks judgm ent on sin s ministers .

Man holds an angel i n hi s power .

Ah deep in H eaven what thunder stirs ,

When God seeks out these tender things Whom i n the shadow where we Sleep

He sends u s clothed about with wings , And ﬁnds them ragged b abes th at weep

1 7 1 N O C T U R N E

’ A nuit écoute e t se pen ch e sur l onde ’ ’ Pour y cueillir rien qu u n sou ﬂ le d amour ;

a u Pas de lueur , pas de musique m onde ,

u i Pas de som meil pour m oi de séjour . 0 f O m ere , Nuit , de ta source pro onde ’ - e n ﬁ n l ou bli du . Verse nous , verse jou r

’ ’ Verse l ou bli de l a n goisse e t d u jour : ’ ’ Ch ante ; ton ch ant assoupit l a me et l onde

n u Fais de ton sein pour mon ame séjour ,

e st 6 c e Elle bien l asse , mere , de m onde ,

Ou le me b aiser veut p as dire amour , ’ o r. e st f l ame aim ée moins que toi pro onde .

’ e st f Car toute chose aimee moins pro onde ,

fi lle et d a O Nuit , que toi , m ere j our ; ’ l a tte nte e st le d u Toi dont répit monde , ’ le sou fl le Toi dont est plein de mots d amour , ’ ’ Toi dont l h a le in e e n fl e e t réprime l onde ’ le Toi dont l ombre a tout ciel pour Séj our .

1 7 2

T H EO P H I L E G A U T I E R

’ a u f OUR m ettre une couronne ront d une ch anson , ’ Il on d e s sembl ait qu en passant s pied sem at roses ,

' E t que sa m ain cueilli t com me d es ﬂ eu rs ecloses

Les etoiles a u fond du ciel en ﬂ ora ison .

’ S a parole de m arbre e t d or avait le so n ’ Des clai rons de l ete chassant les j ours moroses ;

d e s Com me en Th race Apol lon b anni grands cieux roses ,

’

Il d u l Ol m e Sa . regardait coeur y p , m aison

fu t le d u Le soleil pour lui soleil vieux monde , E t so n oeil recherchait dans le s ﬂ ots embrasés ’ ’ ’ Le sillon im mortel d ou s é la n ga su r l onde e V nus , que l a mer molle enivrait de baisers

E n ﬁ n sa , dieu ressaisi de Splendeur premie re ,

o et son e st bft ti . l l tr ne , Sépulcre de lum iere

1 7 4 O D E

(LE TOMBEAU DE T HEOPH I LE GAUTIER )

UE L L E ﬂ e u r O , Mort , quel j oyau , quel ch ant , C i h el vent , quel rayon de soleil couchant ,

f e su r ton ront pench , ta m ain avide , ’ l é re ale u r S ur p p de ta levre aride , Vibre encore e t luit ?

Ton sei n est sans l ait , ton oreille est vide ,

Ton oeil plein de nuit .

Ta bouche est sans sou fﬂ e e t ton front sans ride ; ’ ’ ﬂ a m m e M ais l ecl air voil é d une humide , ’ a u Fl amme éclose coeur d un ciel pluvieux , Rallum e ta levre et remplit tes yeux ’ De lueurs d o p a le ; e st e t f Ta bouche verm eille ton ront j oyeux ,

O toi qu i fu s pale .

d es Comme aux jours divins l a m ere dieux ,

a u f a u Reine sein écond , corps radieux , Tu surgis a u bord de l a tombe amere ;

I 7 S O D E

O et Tu nous apparais , Mort , vierge mere ,

’ E ﬂ ro i des hum ains , Le divin l aurier su r l a tete altiere

E t la lyre au x m ains .

Nous reconnaissons , courbés vers l a terre , ’ (h i e c est la splendeur de ta face austere Ch ii dore l a nuit de nos longs m alheu rs ;

gr O e l a vi e ailée aux m ille couleurs , ’ ’ n e s Dont tu que l ame ,

f res et ﬂ e u rs Re ait par tes mains les p les ,

La rose e t l a fem m e .

Lune constante 'astre ami des douleurs Ch i i luis a travers l a brume des pl eurs Ch i elle ﬂ a m m e a u fond de ta cl arté molle

E c la te e t e rougit, nouvelle aur ole , Ton doux front voilé ? ’ C i elle e se s s e nv ole h toile , ouvrant ailes , Du ciel étoilé ?

’ c c Pleurant rayon de jour qu on l ui vole ,

’ L hom me execre en vai n l a Mort triste e t

’ fu t n os s i Mais l astre qu i a yeux beau , ’ - u n La h aut , loi n d ici , d ans ciel nouveau ’ d a u tre s e Plei n toiles , e et d a S e l ve , pour lui l a nuit tombeau

’ Entr ouvre s e s voiles .

1 7 6

I N O B I T UM T H E O PH I L I P O E T / E

Pie rid u m e t la u ri e ri a LUX g delici e dei ,

Z e h ro u t Vox l eni p y lenior , veris am ans novi

Tollit ﬂ oridu lis im licitu m rim itiis p p caput , ’ a bri u it re ditu ru m u t re d e u nt Te n ergo p non , novo

irrev oc abile m ? Flores vere novi , te quoque mors

v a te m ae Cu r neque te Musa p arens , te neque Grati , Nec servare sibi te potu it ﬁ du m animi Venus ?

' s C in re io Ox na nunc ipsa m agis vel puero te y et ﬂ ebilib u s a m oribu s Te desiderium lumen , Am i m ssu u e ritu r s a n u in eis f . q , g usa com am genis la c r m is A ollin i Tantis tu y digne , com es dul cis p , Caru m nomen eris di s superis atque sod alibu s

a a tu it Nobis , qui s e adem qu e tibi vivo p via

a se u im u r Non equis patet , at te q p assibus haud tuis , At m aesto c in e re m carmine non illa c rym abile m Tristesqu e exuvi as ﬂ oribu s ac ﬂ e tib u s inte gris

c o nte im u s Una g , nec cith ara nec sine tibia , V o toqu e u n a n im ae v oc is Ave dic im u s e t Vale .

1 7 8 AD C AT UL L U M

ATUL LE f u t rater , vel im comes tibi

v ire ta Remota per , per cavum nemus

S a c ru m u e Ditis in h OS iti q haud p specus ,

re ferre St is d u c e m Pedem , trans aquam yg

S e c u tu s et C a tu lle unu m unicu m , te ,

Ut o tim i rev ise rem ora vatis p ,

m e i u e Tui q vatis ora , quem scio

V e n u stiore m adi sse vel tuo lacum ,

Be n i n iora g semper arv a vel tui s ,

a Ubi sere ns accipit suos deus ,

Te it u e g q myrtus impli cata laurea , Ma n u qu e m u lc e t h a litu qu e c on se c ra t

Fov e t u e q bl anda mors am abil i sinu , E t ore fam a fervido c olit viros Alitqu e qu a lis unus ille par tibi Britannus u n ic u squ e i n orbe p rmstitit

Am icus ille noster , ille ceteris

om n ib u s u e ﬂ oribu s Poeta m aj or , q Priore L andor in c lytu m rosa caput

R ev in x it e x tu lit u e f q , quam tu t m anu

R e c e pit ac re fo v it integram su ﬁ .

D E D I C A T I O N

Nine y ears have risen and eight years se t S ince there by th e wellspring our hands on it met

of And the pledge my songs that were the n to be ,

f f f . I could wonder not , riend , though a riend should orget

f ’ For li e s helm rocks to the windward and lee ,

And time is as wind , and as waves are we ; f - f And song is as oam th at the se a winds ret ,

Though the thought at its he art Should be deep as th e sea .

1 8 2 POEMS AND BALLADS

THI RD S ERI ES

M A R C H : A N O D E

f -ﬂ ow er - f f RE rost and snow blossom aded and ell , and

of of the splendour winter h ad passed out sight , The ways of th e woodl ands we re fairer and stranger than dream s th at fulﬁl us in sleep with delight ; The breath of th e mouths of the winds h ad h ardened on tree-tops and branches th at glittered and sw ayed S uch wonders and glories of blossom lik e snow or of frost th at ou tligh te n s all ﬂowers till it fade

se a That the was not lovelier than here was the l and , nor th e the night than the day , nor th e day than night , Nor the winter subli mer with storm th an the spring su ch

mirth h ad the m adness and might in thee m ade ,

of of March , m aster winds , bright minstrel and m arsh al

storms th at enkindle th e season they smite .

And n ow that the rage of thy rapture is satiate with of revel and ravin and spoil the snow ,

1 8 7 M A R C H : A N O D E

And the branches it brightened are broken , and Sh attered

- low th e tree tops that only thy wrath coul d l ay ,

Ho w shoul d not thy lovers rej oice i n thee , leader and lord o f the yea r th at exults to b e born So strong in thy strength and so gl ad of thy gl adness whose l aughter puts wi nter and sorrow to scorn ? f Thou h ast sh aken th e snows rom thy wi ngs , and the frost on thy forehead is molten : thy lips are aglow ’ AS a lover s th at kindle with kissing , and earth , with her

rai ment and tresses yet wasted and torn , Takes bre ath a s sh e smiles i n the grasp of thy passion to

feel through her Spirit the sense of thee ﬂ ow .

f se e for Fain , ai n would we but again an hour what the

su n wind and the have dispelled and consumed , Those full deep swan — soft feathers of snow with whose lumi nous burden the branches implum ed a s f- Hung he avily , curved a hal bent bow , and ﬂedged

a s not as birds are , but petalled ﬂowers , Each tree -top and branchlet a pinnacle j ewelled a n d f carved , or a ountain that shines as it showers ,

f is But ﬁxed as a ountain ﬁxed not , and wrought not to

last till by time or by tempest entombed , As a pinnacl e carven and gilded of m e n : for the date of ’ its doom is no more than an hour s , ’ O ne hour o f the sun s when the warm wind wakes him to

- ﬂ ow e rs f with er the snow that roze a s they bloomed .

1 8 8

M A R C H : A N O D E

Whose hearts were uplift at th e bl ast o f thy cl arions as m en ’ s rearisen from a sleep that was death ’ And kindled to li fe that w a s one with the world s and with thine ? hast thou set not the whole worl d free ?

’ o f is f f For the breath thy lips reedom , and reedom s the o f of sense thy Spirit , the sound thy song , of - Glad god the north east wind , whose heart is as high

o f as the hands thy kingdom are strong ,

Thy kingdom whose empire i s terror an d joy , twi n f f f o f eature d and ruit ul births divine , of of Days lit with the ﬂame th e l amps the ﬂowers , and

d e w for nights that are drunke n with wine , And sl eep not for joy o f the stars th at deepen and

ﬁ erier quicken , a denser and throng , And the worl d th at thy breath b ade whiten and tremble t rejoices at heart as they s rengthe n and shine ,

for An d e arth gives th anks the glory bequeathed her , f and knows o thy reign that it wrought not wrong .

V I I

w e f Thy spirit is quenched not , albeit behold not thy ace ’ of i n the crown the steep sky s arch ,

of And the bol d ﬁrst buds the whin wax golden , and witness arise of the thorn and the l arch

Wild April , enkindled to l aughter and storm by the kiss

of of the wildest winds that blow ,

1 90 M A R C H : A N O D E

Calls loud on his brother for witness ; his h an ds that

were l aden with blossom are sprinkled with snow ,

And his lips breathe winter , and l augh , and relent ; an d ’ the live woods feel not th e frost s ﬂame p arch ; For the ﬂam e of the spring th at consumes not b ut

f of f quickens is elt at th e heart the orest aglow , And the sparks that enkindled and fe d it were strew n f from the h ands of the gods of th e winds o March .

1 9 1 T H E C O M M O N W E A L

IG HT hundred years and twenty-one H ave shone and sunken Since the l and Whose n am e is freedom bore such brand

As m arks a captive , and the sun

Beheld her fettered h and .

But ere dark time h ad shed as rai n O r sown on sterile e arth as seed That bears no fruit save tare and f An age and hal an age again ,

She rose on Runnym ede .

o f th e Out shadow , starlike still ,

Sh e rose up radiant in her right , f And spake , and put to ear and ﬂight The l awless rule o f awless will

That pleads no righ t save might .

1 9 2

T I I E C O M M O N W E A L

VIII

o f of Hope , wide eye and wild wing , Rose with the su n d a w n o f a reign Whose grace should m ake the rough ways

And ﬁll the worn old world with spring ,

And heal its he art of pain .

’ Peace w a s to be on earth ; men s h Op e

Wa s f hol ier th an their athe rs h ad , Th eir wisdom not more wise th an glad

s a w of They the gates promise ope , ’ And heard wh at love s lip s bade .

Love armed with knowledge , winged an d

o f se e S hould hush the win d war , and .

su n of They said , the days to be Bri ng round beneath sere ner skies

A stormless jubilee .

Ti me , in the darkness unbeholden That hides him from the sight of fear

An d lets but dreaming hope draw near , S miled and w a s sa d to h ear such golden

- Strains h ail the all golden year .

1 94 T H E C O M M O N W E A L

Strange clouds h ave risen between , and wild Red stars of storm th at lit the abyss Wherein ﬁerce fraud and violence kiss An d m ock such promise as beguiled f f The ﬁ tieth ye ar rom this .

XIII

f War upon w ar , change a ter change ,

H ath shaken thrones and towers to dust , And hopes austere and faiths august H ave w atched i n p atience stern and strange ’ Men s works unjust and just .

' I V

’ AS from some Alpine watch - tower s portal

f for Night , living yet , looks orth dawn , So from tim e ’ s m istier mountain law n

of The spirit m an , in trust i mmortal

Yearns toward a hope withdrawn .

The morning comes not , yet the n ight ’ Wanes , and men s eyes win strength to see

is Where twilight , where light shall be When conquered wrong an d conquering right Accl ai m a world s e t free

I 9S T I I E C O M M O N W E A L

' V I

a s - Cal m our mother l an d , the m other f f O f a ith and reedom , pure an d wise , f Keeps watch beneath u nchange ul skies , 7 \\ hen h ath s h e watch ed the woes o f other Strange l ands with alien eyes ?

XVI I

a s sh e Cal m stands alone , what n ation H ath l acked an al m s from English hands ? \V h a t exiles from wh at stricken la nds Have lacked the shelter of the station W here highe r than all She stands ?

XVIII

Though time discrown and change dism antle

o f f The pride thrones and towers that rown , Ho w Should they bring her glories down

se a The cast round he r like a mantle , ? The s e a -cloud li ke a crown

' I '

se a a s The , divine heaven and deathless ,

I S sh e hers , and none but only ’ H ath learnt th e se a s word , none but we H er chil d ren h ear i n h eart th e breathless

Bright watchword o f the se a .

1 96

T H E C O M M O N W E A L

XXIV

su n But us the , not wholly risen

n ow for Nor equal all , illumes With more of light than cloud th at looms ; Of light th at leads forth souls from prison

An d breaks the seals of tombs .

XXV

Did not her breasts who reared u s rear

Him who took heaven in hand , an d weighed Bright world with world in b al ance l aid ? Wh at Newton ’ s might could m ake not clear H ath D arwin ’s migh t not m ade ?

XXVI

f of Th e orces the dark dissolve , The doorways of the dark are broken

The word th at casts out night is spoken , And whence the springs of things evolve

Light born of night bears toke n .

XXVII

’ fo r S h e , loving light light s sake only , ’ for And truth only truth s , and song ’ ’ h o w For song s sake and the sea s , long I I a th s h e not borne the world h er lonely Witness of right and wrong ?

1 98 T H E C O M M O N W E A L

XXVIII

From light to light her eyes imperial f Turn , and require the urthe r light , f ’ per ect th an th e sun s in sight , ‘More Till star and su n seem all funereal

Lamps of the vaulted night .

XXIX

S he gazes till the strenuous soul Within th e rapture of her eyes

Creates or bids aw ake , arise ,

for The light She looks , pure and whole

And worsh ipped of the wise .

XXX

S uch sons are hers , such radiant hands 0

H ave borne abroad her lamp of old , S uch m ouths of honey — droppi ng gold H ave sent across all seas and lan ds f Her ame as m usic rol l ed .

XXXI

AS m usic m ade of rolling thunder

That hurls through he aven its heart subl ime ,

I ts of heart j oy , i n charging chi me , S o ring the songs that round and under

H er temple surge and climb .

I 99 T H E C O M M O N W E A L

XXXI I

’ A temple not by m en s h ands builded , of But m oulded the spirit , and wrought O f passion and imperious thought ;

With light beyond all sunlight gilded ,

Whereby the sun seems nought .

XXXI II

for f Thy shrine , our mother , seen airer f f Than eve n thy natural ace , m ade air With kisses of thine April air

n o w - Even , when spring thy banner bearer Took up thy Sign to bear ;

XXXIV

Thi ne annual sign from heaven ’s own arch ’ ’ of Given the sun s h and i nto thine , To rear and cheer e ach wildwood shrine

n o w - But l aid waste by wild winged March ,

March , m ad w ith wind like wine .

XXXV

From al l thy brightening downs whereon Th e windy seaward whin -flower shows Blossom whose pride strikes pale the rose Forth is the golden watchword gone ’ Where at th e world s face glows .

2 00

T H E C O M M O N W E A L

’ f Despair may wring men s he arts , and ear B w o down their he ads to kiss the dust ,

Where patriot m emories rot and rust , f ’ And ch ange m akes ai nt a n ation s cheer ,

And faith yiel ds up her trust .

Not here this year h ave true men known ,

Not here this year m ay true m en know , Th at brand o f shame -compelling woe Which bids but brave m en shrink or groan

And lays but honour low .

XLII

o f The strong Spring win d blows notes praise ,

of And h allowing pride heart , and cheer

Unch anging , toward all true men here Wh o hold the trust of ancient d ays

H igh as o f old this ye ar .

XLIII

The days that m ade thee great are de ad ; The days th at n o w must keep thee gre at Lie not in keeping of thy fate ;

I n thine they l ie , whose heart and head S ustain thy ch arge o f state

2 0 2 T H E C O M M O N W E A L

XLIV

so No state so proud , no pride j ust ,

su n The , through clouds at sunrise curled th e Or clouds across sunset whirled , of h a s H ath sight , nor m an such trust

As thine i n all the world .

Each h our that sees the sunset ’ s crest Make bright thy shores ere day decline

su n of S ees dawn the on shores thine , S ees west as e ast and e ast as west

On thee their sovereign shine .

XLVI

The se a ’ s own heart m ust needs wax proud

To have borne the world a child like thee . Wh at birth of earth might ever be ? Thy sister Time , a wandering cloud ,

I s sunshine on thy s ea .

XLVII

Change m ars not her ; and thee , our mother , What change th at irk s or moves thee m ars ? What shock that Sh akes ? what chance th at j ars ?

a s Tim e gave thee , he gave none other , ’ A station like a star s .

2 0 3 T H E C O M M O N W E A L

XLVI II

The storm that shrieks , the wind th at wages War with the wings of hopes that climb

Too high toward heaven in doubt subli me , o f Assail not thee , approved ages

The towering crown of time .

XLIX

Toward thee this ye ar thy ch ildren turning With souls uplift o f ch angeless cheer f S alute with love that casts out ear , for With hearts beacons round thee burning ,

The token of this ye ar .

With just and sacred j ubil ation Let earth Sound answer to the se a f For witness , blown on winds as ree ,

Ho w Engl and , how her crowning nation ,

Acclaim s this jubilee .

2 04

T H E A R M A D A

Yea , he arts that had neve r been molten with pity were f m olten with ear as with ﬂam e ,

o f And the priests the Godhead whose temple is hell ,

is of a nd his h eart iron and ﬁre , And the swordsme n that served and the seame n that

sped them , whom peril coul d tam e not or tire , Were a s foam on the winds of the waters of Engl and

which tempest can tire not or tame .

They were girded about with thunder , and lightning

f o f of cam e orth the rage their strength , And the measure that measures the wings of the storm w a s the breadth of their force and the length

o f th e ir w a s And the name might I nvincible , covered and clothed with the terror of God

h is With his wrath were they winge d , with love were

of they ﬁred , with th e speed his winds were they shod ;

h is With his soul were they ﬁlled , i n trust were they

f : w a s a s com orted grace upon them night , And faith as the bl ackness of d arkness : the fu me of

b a le ﬁ re s f their was air i n his sight , The reek of them sweet as a savour of myrrh in h is

: nostrils the world th at he m ade ,

f o f : if Theirs was it by gi t his servants the wind , they f Spake in his n ame , was a raid ,

2 06 T H E A R M A D A

su n f And th e was a sh adow be ore it , th e stars were astonished with fear o f it : ﬁre ’ fe d w o f Went up to them , ith men livin g , and lit men s h ands for a shrine or a pyre ; An d the east and the west wi nd scattered their ashes

abroad , th at his n am e Shoul d be blest Of the tribes of the chosen whose blessings are curses f rom uttermost e ast unto west .

2 0 7 T H E A R M A D A

for for Hell S pain , and h eaven Engl and , God to God ,

and m an to m an , f f Met con ronte d , light with darkness , li e with de ath

since ti me began , Never earth nor Se a behel d so gre at a stake before

set them , S ave when Athens hurled back Asi a from the lists wherein they met ; Never since the sands of ages through the gl ass of history ran S a w the sun in he aven a lordlier day th an this that

lights us yet .

For the light th at abides upon Engl and , the glory th at

rests on her godlike nam e , f The pride th at is love and the love th at is aith , a f per ume dissolved in flame , Took fire from the dawn of the fierce J uly when fleets were scattered a s foam And squ adrons as flakes of spray ; wh en galleon and gall iass th at sh adowed the se a Were swept from he r waves like sh adows that pass with f f the clouds th ey ell rom , and she

2 0 8

T H E A R M A D A

They that ride over ocean wide with hempen bridle and ’ of horse tree , How shall they in the d arkening day of wrath an d a n guish and fear go free ? How shall these that h ave curbed the se as not feel his bridle who m ade the se a ?

God shall bow them and break them n ow : for wh at is m an i n the Lord God ’ s sight ?

Fe ar shall sh ake the m , and sh ame shall break , and al l the noon of thei r pride be night Th ese th at sinned Shall the ravening wind of doom bring

under , and j udgment smite .

f Engl and broke rom her ne ck the yoke , and rent the f etter , and mocked the rod S hrines of old that sh e decked with gold sh e turned to sh e dust , to the dust trod sh e What is , that the wind and se a Shoul d ﬁght beside

her , and war with God ?

’ o f h is Lo , th e cloud ships th at crowd her channel s inlet

with storm sublime ,

2 1 0 T H E A R M A D A

D arker fa r th an the te mpests are th at sweep th e skies of

I her northmost clime ; Huge and dense as th e walls that fence the secret dark

ness of unknown tim e .

Mast on mast as a tower goes p ast , and sail by sail as a ’ clou d s wing spread ; f Fleet by ﬂeet , as th e throngs whose eet keep ti me with death in his dance o f dread ; ’ Galleons dark as the helmsm an s b ark of ol d th at ferried

to hell the dead .

a s of S quadrons proud th eir lords , and loud with tramp soldiers and ch ant o f priests ; f f Sl aves there told by the thousand ol d , m ade ast in bondage as herde d be asts ; Lords and slaves th at th e sweet free waves shall feed

f f . on , sati ate with uneral easts

so Nay , not shall it be , they know ; their priests h ave sai d it ; can priesthood lie ?

: God sh al l keep th em , thei r God Shall sleep not peril and evil Sh all p ass them by

for Nay , these are his children ; seas and winds Shal l

bid not his children die .

S o they boast them , the monstrous host wh ose menace mock s at the dawn : and here

2 1 1 T H E A R M A D A

’ They that wait at the wild sea s gate , and watch the

o f darkness doom draw ne ar , How sh all they in their evil day sustain the strength o f their hearts fo r fear ?

Full July in the ferve nt sky sets forth her twentieth o f C hanging morns Winds fall mild that of late waxed wild : no presage whispers or wails or warns Far to west on the bl an d se a ’ s bre ast a sailing crescent

uprears her horns .

S eve n wide miles the serene se a smiles between them stretching from rim to rim f S o t they Shine , but a darker Sign Shoul d bid not hope or belie f w a x dim ’ ’ : God s are these men , and not the se a s their trust is set

not on h er but him .

God ’ s ? but who is the God whereto th e prayers an d incense of these m e n rise ?

is se a f What he , th at th e wind and shoul d ear him , quelled by his sunbright eyes ?

What , th at men should return again , and h ail him Lord of the servile skies ?

’ lle ll s own ﬂam e at his heavenly nam e leaps higher and f laughs , and its gul s rejoice Plague and de ath from his baneful bre ath take life and

lighten , and praise h is choice

2 1 2

T H E A R M A D A

of But the Lord darkness , the God whose love is a

flam ing fire , The m aster whose m ercy fulfils wide hell till its tortu rers

tire , He sh all surely h ave heed of his servants who serve

for . hi m love , not hi re

Th ey shall fetter the wing of the wind whose pinions are plumed with foam :

n ow n ow For shall thy horn be ex alted , and shall thy bol t strike hom e ;

of Yea , now Shall thy kingdom come , Lord God the

priests o f Rome .

They shall cast thy curb on the waters , and bridle the waves o f the se a

s a : They sh all y to her , Peace , be still and stillness and peace shall be

And the winds and the storm s shall he ar them , and

trembl e , and worship thee .

Thy breath shall darken th e m orni ng , and withe r th e mounting sun

2 1 4 T H E A R M A D A

f f And th e d aysprings , rozen and ettered , sh all know

thee , an d cease to run ;

of f The heart the world Sh all eel thee , and die , and thy

will be done .

of The spirit m an that would sound thee , and search of out causes thi ngs ,

: S h all shrink and subside and praise thee and wisdom ,

- with plum e plucked wings , f f S h all cower at thy eet and con ess th ee , that none m ay

fathom thy springs .

The fountains of son g th at await but the wind of an April to be

of To burst the bonds the winter , and spe ak with the

o f sou nd a se a , The blast of thy mouth shall que nch th em : and son g f shall be only o thee .

The days that are dead Shall quicken , the Seasons that were Shall return ;

of An d the streets and the p astures Engl and , the woods

that burgeon and ye arn , S hall be wh itened with ashes of wom en and children

and m en that burn .

For the mother sh all burn with the b abe sprung forth of

her womb in ﬁre ,

An d bride with bridegroom , and b rother with sister , and son with Sire ;

2 1 5 T H E A R M A D A

And th e noise of the ﬂames shall be sweet i n thine ears

as the sound o f a lyre .

so Yea , so shall thy kingdom be stablished , and sh al l the signs o f it be :

And the world sh all know , and th e wind shall speak ,

s u n and the sh all see ,

o f th That these are the works y servants , whose works

bear witness to thee .

o f f f But the dusk the day alls ruitless , whose light should have lit the m on

S ail s ﬂash through the gloom to shoreward , eclipsed as the su n that shone :

And the west wind wakes with d awn , and the hope that

was here is gone .

tw o Around they wheel and around , knots to the ’ Spani ard s one , - f of The wind swi t warriors Engl and , who shoot as with f o f sha ts the sun , ’ f f for With our old Shots the S paniard s , that spare not

til l day be done .

And the wind with the sundown sharpens , and hurtles

th e ships to th e lee ,

And S paniard on S pani ard smites , and sh atters , and a n d yields ; we ,

2 1 6

T H E A R M A D A

I n him is thei r strength , wh o have sworn that his glory sh al l w a x not dim : I n his name are their w ar- Ships h allowed as m ightiest o f all that swim

The men that shall cope with these , and conquer shall

cast out him .

I n him is the trust of their hearts ; th e desire of their eyes i s he ;

of for Th e light thei r ways , m ade lightning m en that would fain be free ’ is Earth s hosts are with them , and with them he aven

but with u s is the sea .

2 1 8 T H E A R M A D A

And a d ay and a nigh t pass over ; And the heart of thei r chie f swells high

For Engl and , the warrior , the rover ,

Whose banners on all winds ﬂy ,

- of off S oul stricken , he saith , by the sh adow death , holds

him , and draws not nigh .

And the wind and the d a wn together M ake i n from the gleaming east And fain of the wild gl ad weather

As f is f o f f amine ain east ,

f of f I n Its And ain the ﬁght , orth Sweeps m ight the host ’ of the Lord s high priest .

And lightly before th e breeze The Ships of his foes take wing

of ? Are they scattered , the lords the se as

th e f of ? Are v broke n , the oes the king And ever now higher as a mounting ﬁre the hopes o f

the S paniard Spring .

And a windless night com es down

And a breezeless morning , bright

2 1 9 T H E A R M A D A

With promise o f praise to crown

of Th e close the crowning ﬁght , ’ f lu s Leaps up as th e oe s h e art leaps , and glows with

trous rapture o f light .

And stinted o f gear for b attle ’ o f f The ships th e sea s olk lie ,

Unwarlike , herded as cattle , S i x miles from the foem an ’s eye That fastens as ﬂame on the sight of them tam e and

f . of enceless , and ranged as to die

S urely the souls in them quail ,

They are stricken and withe red at heart ,

Whe n in on them , sail by sail ,

of Fierce m arvels monstrous art , Tower darkening on tower till the se a -winds cowe r

crowds down as to hurl them apart .

And the windless weathe r is kindly , And com forts the host in th ese ; f And th eir hearts are upli t i n them blindly , And blindly they boast at ease ’ That the next day s ﬁght sh all ex alt them , and smite

with destruction the lords o f the seas .

And li ghtly th e proud hearts prattle ,

An d lightly the dawn draws nigh ,

2 2 0

T I I E A R M A D A

And English thunder divides i n sunder the holds of the

ships o f Spain .

Southward to Cal ais , appalled

And astonished , the vast ﬂeet veers ;

And the skies are shrouded and p alled , But the moonless midnight hears And sees h ow swi ft on th em drive and dri ft strange

ﬂames that the darkness fears .

f They ﬂy through the night rom shoreward ,

- Heart stricken till morning break , And ever to scourge them forward ’ Drives down on them Engl and s Drake ,

a s And hurls them in they hurtle and spi n and stagger ,

with storm to wake .

2 2 2 T H E A R M A D A

And now is their tim e come on th em . For eastward rf they d i t and reel , o f With the shallows Flanders ahead , with destruction

and h avoc at heel ,

for f With God their com ort only , th e God wh om they serve ; and here

o f h is - Their Lord , great loving ki ndness , m ay revel and m ake good ch eer ;

Though ever his lips wax thi rstier with drinking , and hotter the lusts in him swell ; f For he eeds the thirst th at consum es him with blood ,

and his winepress fumes with the reek of hell .

Fierce noon beats hard (in the b attle ; the galleons that loom to the lee f t Bow down , heel over , upli ting hei r Shelterless hulls from the se a

a s irt f dis From scuppers p with blood , rom guns

mounted and dumb ,

of for The Si gns th e doom they looked , the loud

mute witnesses com e .

2 2 3 T H E A R M A D A

They press with sunset to seawa rd for comfort : and shall not they ﬁnd it there ?

of h is a O servants God most high , sh all winds not p ss ? you by , and his waves not sp are

The wings o f the south -west wind are widened ; the of f breath h is ervent lips , ’ n ﬁ e rc e r f More kee than a Sword s edge , th an ﬁre , alls

full on the plunging ships . of The pilot is he their northward ﬂight , their stay and their steersm an b e ;

A helmsm an clothed with the tempest , and girdled with

strength to constrain the sea . of f And the host them trembles and quails , caught ast i n his h and a s a bird in the toils ; For the wrath and the joy that fulﬁl him are mightier ’ than m an s , whom h e sl ays and spoils .

o f And vainly , with he art divided in sunde r , and l abour

wavering will , The lord of their host takes counsel with h Op e if h aply

thei r star shine still , If haply som e light be le ft them of chance to renew and redeem the fray ; But the will of the bl ack south - wester is lord of the

- councils of war to day .

of O ne only spirit it quells not , a splendour undarkened chance or ti me ;

2 2 4

T H E A R M A D A

n o w o f th e m With English hunters at heel , till is the herd

s pa t the Forth , All huddled and hu rtled seaward ; and now need none

w a r wage upon these , Nor huntsm an follow th e qu arry whose fall is th e

pastim e sought of the seas . f Day upon day upon day con ounds th em , with measure

less mists that swell , With drift o f rains everlasting an d dense a s the fumes of

ascending hell . The visions o f priest and of prophet beholding his enemies bruised o f his rod Beheld but the likeness of this th at is fallen on the f f f f o . aith ul , th e riends God

Northward , and northward , and northward they stagge r

and shudder and swerve and ﬂit ,

of of f Dismantled m asts and yards , with sails by the angs

- o f th e storm wi nd split .

Bu t o f north the headland whose name is Wrath , by the

o f se a wrath or the ruth the , t They are swept or sustained to the wes ward , and drive

through the rol lers a loo f to the l ee .

for : S ome strive yet northward I celand , and perish but some through th e storm -h ewn straits Th at sunder the S hetl ands and Orkneys are borne of the bre ath which is God ’ s or fate ’ s

of S e te m b e r And some , by the dawn p , at last give th anks

a s for stars th at smi l e ,

2 2 6 T H E A R M A D A

For th e winds have swept the m to shelter and sight of the ff cli s of a Cathol ic isle . f Though m any the ﬁerce rocks eed on , and m any the m erciless heretic slays , Yet som e th at have l aboured to l and with their treasure

f . are trust ul , and give God praise

of And th e kernes murderous I rel and , athirst with a

of greed everlasting blood ,

Unsl akable ever with sl aughter and spoil , rage down as

a ravening ﬂood , To sl ay and to ﬂay of their Shini ng app arel their brethre n whom Shipwreck spares ; f S uch aith and such m ercy , such love and such m anhood ,

such hands and such hearts are theirs . f f S hort shri t to her oes gives Engl and , but Shorter doth I rel and to friends ; and worse Fare they that cam e with a blessing on tre ason than they

that com e with a curse .

of H acked , h arried , and m angled axes and skenes , three thousand naked and dead

o f of B ear witness Catholic I rel and , wh at sons wh at Sires

at h er breasts are bred . f f Wi nds are piti ul , waves are merci ul , tempest and storm are kin d

a The w ters that smite m ay spare , and th e thunder is f dea , and the lightning is blind

O f e rc h a n c e ' a t h is these p need m ay a m an , though th ey

kn ow it not , yet ﬁnd grace ;

2 2 7 T H E A R M A D A

if But grace , another be h ardened against him , he gets

' not at this m an s face . For h is ear that b e a rs and h is eye that sees the wreck

o f and the wail m en , w And his heart th at relents not ithin h im , but hungers ,

’ are li ke a s th e wol f s i n his den .

Worthy are these to worship thei r m aster , the murderous

o f Lord lies , Who h ath given to the pontiff h is servant the keys of the

pit an d the k eys of the skies . f - Wild ami ne and red shod rapi ne are cruel , and bitter with blood are their feasts ; But ﬁ e rc e r th an famine and redder than rapine the hands

an d the hearts o f priests .

God , God bade these to the battle ; and here , on a l and

h is by servants trod , - ff Th ey perish , a lordly blood o ering , subdued by the

hands of th e servants of God .

fe d of f These also were his priests with aith , with the m ilk o f h is word and the wine ; These too are fulﬁlled w ith the spirit of darkness th at

guided their quest divine .

f s e a And here , cast up rom the ravening on the mild ’ f l and s merci ul bre ast , This com fort they ﬁnd o f their fellows in worship ; this

is guerdon theirs o f th e ir quest .

w a s l Death was captain , and doom pi ot , and darkness the ch art o f thei r w a y ;

2 2 8

T H E A R M A D A

of for S i xtus , Pope the Church whose hope takes ﬂight

su n he aven to dethrone the ,

Philip , king th at wouldst turn our spring to winter ,

bl asted , appalled , undone , ’ f Prince and priest , let a mourner s east give thanks to

God for your conquest won .

’ : England s heel is upon you kneel , O priest , O prince ,

in the dust , and cry , ‘ ? f Lord , why thus art thou wroth with us whose aith ? was gre at i n thee , God most high ’ is ? Whence this , that the serpent s hiss derides us Lord , can thy pledged word lie ?

o f n ow for God hell , are its ﬂames th at swell quenched ? ever , extinct and dead Who shall fear thee ? or who shall b e a r the word thy servants w h o feared thee said ?

a s n o w is Lord , art thou the dead gods , whose arm ? Shortened , whose rede is read

‘ Yet w e th ought it w a s not for nought thy word w a s

u s given , to guard and guide

2 3 0 T H E A R M A D A

Yet we deem ed that they h ad not dreamed who put their ? trust i n thee . H ast thou lied

w a s God our Lord , the sacred sword we drew not drawn on thy Church ’ s side ?

’ England h ates thee as hell s own gates ; and Engl and

triumph s , and Rome bows down ’ Engl and m ocks at thee ; Engl an d s rocks cast OII thy servants to drive and drown England Ioathes thee ; and fame betroth s and plights

with Engl and her faith for crown .

f S pai n clings ast to thee ; S p ain , aghast with anguish , cries to th ee ; where art thou ?

S pain puts trust in th ee ; lo , the dust th at soil s and darkens her prostrate brow ' S pain is true to thy service ; who shall raise up S p ain for thy service n ow ?

if n on e Who sh all praise thee , m ay raise thy servants ff f ? up , nor a ri ght thy oes f Winter wanes , and the woods and plains orget the like n ess of storm s and snows S o Shall fear o f th ee fade even here : and what sh all ’ follow thee no m an knows .

’ of Lords night , who would breath e your blight on April s ’ morning and August s noon ,

God your Lord , the condem ned , the abhorred , sinks

h ellward , sm itten wi th deathl ike swoon

2 3 1 T H E A R M A D A

’ o w n h is f Death s dart i n h ate ul heart now thrills , and

night sh all receive him soon .

o f for God the Devil , thy reign revel is here ever e clipsed and ﬂed

God the Li ar , everlasting ﬁre l ays hold at l ast on thee , h and and head

God the Accurst , th e consumi ng thirst th at burns thee

never sh all here b e fe d .

of England , queen th e w aves whose green inviol ate

girdle enrings thee round , f of Mothe r air as the morning , where is now the place thy foemen found ?

se a f Stil l the that salutes us ree procl aims them stricken ,

acclaims thee crowned .

Times may change , and the skies grow strange with signs of treason and fraud and fear Foes in union of strange communion m ay rise against thee from fa r an d near S loth and greed on thy strength may feed as cankers waxing from year to year

Yet . though tre ason and ﬁerce unreason shoul d league f and lie and de ame and smite ,

\V e h ow fa r that k now thee , below thee the h atred burns o f of th e sons n ight ,

2 3 2

T H E A R M A D A

Ho w shalt thou be abased ? or how Shall fear take hold ? o f thy heart of thi ne o f f England , m aiden immortal , l aden with charge li e and with hopes divi ne ?

Earth sh all wither , when eyes turned hither behol d not

light i n her darkness shine .

son England , none that is born thy , and lives , by grace of f thy glory , ree , Lives and yearns not at heart and burns with hope to serve a s he worships thee ; ’ None m ay sing thee : the se a-Wind s wing beats down

our songs as i t hails the sea .

2 34 T O A S E A M E W

HEN I h ad wings , my broth er , S uch wings were mine as thine S uch li fe my heart remembers I n all a s wild S eptembers f As this when li e seem s other ,

Though sweet , than once was mine ;

When I had wings , my brother , n S uch wings were mine as thi e .

S uch life as thrills and qui ckens of The silence thy ﬂight , Or ﬁlls thy note ’ s el ation With lordlier exultation ’ f Th an m an s , whose aint heart sickens With hopes and fe ars that blight Su ch li fe as thrills and quickens

The Silen ce of thy ﬂight .

Thy cry from windward cl anging

’ M akes all th e cliﬂ s rejoice ;

Though storm clothe seas with sorrow , Thy call salutes the m orrow ; While sh ades of p ai n see m h anging

2 3 5 T O A S E A M E W

’ Round earth s most rapturous voice , Thy cry from windward clanging

M akes all the cliffs rejoice .

of We , sons and sires se amen ,

Whose home i s all the sea ,

What pl ace m an m ay , we cl aim it ; But thine whose thought m ay name f Free birds live higher th an reemen , And gladlier ye than we of We , sons and sires seamen ,

Whose hom e i s all the sea .

For you the storm sounds only More notes of more delight Than earth ’ s in sunniest weather When h eaven and se a together Join strengths agai nst th e lonely

Lost b ark borne down by night , For you the storm sounds only f More notes o more delight .

With wider wing , and louder

- of Long cl arion call j oy , Thy tribe s alutes the terror Of darkness , wil d as error ,

But sure as truth , and prouder Than waves with m an for toy ;

With wider wing , and louder

- Long cl arion call of joy .

2 36

T O A S E A M E W

o f Who live , and dream dying ’ f G rey time , in time s grey ashion , Bids Wingless creatures pine

f w e We are all en , eve n , whose p assion i O n earth s nearest thine .

The l ark know s no such rapture ,

Such joy no nightingale , As sways the songless m easure Wherein thy wings take pleasure

Thy love m ay no m an capture , Thy pride m ay no m an quail ;

The l ark knows no such rapture ,

Such joy no nightingale .

And we , whom dreams embol den , We can but creep and sing And watch through heaven ’ s w aste hollow The ﬂight no sight m ay follow To the utter bourne beholde n O f none th at lack thy wing w e And , whom dre ams embol den ,

We can but creep and sing .

Our dreams h ave wings th at falter ; Our hearts bear hopes that die ; For th ee no dream could better f f f A li e no ears m ay etter ,

A pride no care can alter ,

2 38 T O A S E A M E W

Th at wots not wh ence or why f Our dre ams h ave wings that alter ,

O ur he arts bear hopes th at die .

With joy more ﬁerce and sweeter Than j oys we dee m divine

Their lives , by time untarnished ,

Are girt about and garnished , Who match the wave ’s full metre ’ And dri nk th e Wind s wild wine With joy more ﬁerce and sweeter

Than j oys we deem divine .

for Ah , well were I ever , Wouldst thou change lives with ’ And take my song s wild honey , And give m e b ack thy sunny

Wide eyes th at weary never , And wings that Se arch the se a ; for Ah , well were I ever ,

Wouldst thou ch ange lives with me .

Bea c/z Hea d Se tem ber 1 886 . y , p , P A N AN D T H A L AS S I US

A L Y R I C A L I D Y L

THAL ASSI US

PAN

se a - of O stray , seed Apollo , Wh at word wouldst thou h ave with My ways thou w ast fain to follow Or ever the years h ailed thee

Man .

Now If August brood on th e valleys , If satyrs l augh on the l awns , What p art in the wil dwood alleys H ast thou with the ﬂ e e t-foot fauns Thou ?

S ee ’ Thy feet are a m an s — not cloven ’ : Like these , not light as a boy s

2 40

P A N A N D T H AL AS S I US

Sweet Echo shall yiel d thee not hearing What h ave w e to do with thee ?

Go .

T HAL ASS I US

Ay S uch wrath on thy nostril quivers AS Once in S icilian heat

B ade herdsm en quail , and the rivers

fo r f Sh rank , leaving a path thy eet Dry ?

Nay , L o w down i n the hot soft hollow Too snakelike hisses thy spleen

se a — o f O stray , seed Apollo Wh at ill h ast th ou heard or seen ?

S ay .

Man if Knows well , he hears beside hi m

o f The snarl thy wrath at noon ,

Wh at evil m ay soon betide him , if O r l ate , thou smite not soon ,

Pan .

o f th ﬂ a tte rs Th e sound y ﬂute , that

a s The woods th ey smile and sigh ,

2 4 2 P A N A N D T HAL AS S I U S

f Ch armed ast as it ch arms thy satyrs , C an charm no faster than I

Thee .

Fast Thy music m ay charm the Splendid Wide woodland silence to Sleep With sou nds and dreams of thee blended And w hispers of w aters th at creep

Past .

Here The spell o f thee b reathes and passes

And bids the heart i n m e pause , H ushed soft a s the leaves and the grasses Are hushed if the storm ’ s foot d raws

Ne ar .

Yet The pani c th at strikes down strangers Transgressing thy ways un aware Aﬁ righ ts not me nor endangers Through dread of thy secret sn are

S et .

PAN

VV h e n c e May m an ﬁnd he art to deride me ? Who m ade his face a s a star

2 43 P A N AN D T H AL AS S I US

To Shine as a God ’ s beside me ?

f u s fa r Nay , get thee away rom ,

Hence .

T I IAL ASSI US

Then ’ S hall no m an s heart , as he raises

A hymn to thy secret head , Wax great with the godhead he praises

Thou , God , sh alt be like unto de ad

hf e n .

PAN

Grace ’ of I take not men s thanksgiving , I crave not of lips that live ;

They die , and behold , I am living , While they and their dead Gods give

Place .

T I IAL ASSI US

Yea Too ligh tly the words were spoken That mourned or mocked at thee dead

But whose was th e word , the token , The song that answered and said Nay ?

2 44

P A N A N D T I I AL AS S I US

f And li e to thy leaves , l ate hoary AS weeds cast up from the hoar

S ea .

Song Can bid faith Shi ne a s the morning Though light i n the worl d be none if Death shrinks her tongue sound warning ,

su n Nigh t quails , and beholds the

S trong .

PAN Night Bare rule over men for ages Whose worship wi st not of me

w for And gat but sorro s wages , And hardly for tears coul d see

Light .

Call No more on the starry presence Whose light through the long dark swam ’ Hold fast to the green world s pleasance : For I that am lord of it am

All .

THAL ASSI US

God , f ’ God Pan , rom the glad wood s portal Th e breaths o f thy song blow sweet

2 46 P A N AN D T H AL AS S I U S

But woods m ay be walked i n of mortal ’ f Man s thought , where never thy eet

Trod .

Thine

o f o f All secrets growth and birth are ,

of of All glories ﬂower and tree , Wheresoever the wonders of earth are ; words o f th e Spell of th e se a

Mine . A B A L L A D O F B A T H

I KE a queen enchanted who m ay not l augh or weep , Glad at he art and guarded from change and care

like ours , Girt about with beauty by days and nights th at creep f f S o t as breathless ripples that so tly shoreward sweep ,

Lies the lovely city whose grace no grie f d eﬂ ow e rs . f f f Age and grey orget ul ness , tim e that shi ts an d veers , f Touch not thee , our airest , whose ch arm no rival nears , ’ Hailed as England s Florence of one whose praise

gives grace ,

Landor , once thy lover , a name that love reveres

Dawn and noon and sunset are one be fore thy face .

f w e f w e Dawn whereo k now not , and noon whose ruit

reap ,

of f Garnered up in record years that ell like ﬂowers , Sunset lik er sunrise along the shini ng steep f f f Whence thy air ace lightens , and where thy so t

Springs leap , Crown at once and g ird thee with grace o f guardian

powers .

o o f f L ved o f men bel oved us , Souls that am e insph ere s ,

2 48

I N A G A R D E N

se e ' ABY , th e ﬂowers B aby sees

Fairer th ings than these ,

Fairer though they be th an dreams of ours .

Baby , hear the birds B aby knows

Better songs th an those ,

S weeter though they sound th an sweetest words .

B aby , see the moon B aby ’ s eyes

Laugh to watch it rise ,

Answering light with love an d night with noon .

' B aby , hear the sea B aby ’ s face

Takes a graver grace ,

Touched with wonder what the sound m ay be .

' B aby , See the star ’ — B aby s h and

Opens , warm and bl and , f f Calm in cl aim o all things air that are .

2 50 I N A G A R D E N

B aby , hear the bell s ’ — B aby s head

e for Bows , as rip bed , th e ﬂowers curl round and close

of B aby , ﬂower light ,

S leep , and see

Brighter dream s than we ,

Till good shall smile away good night .

2 51 A R H Y M E

if ABE , rhym e be none For that sweet sm al l word

B abe , the sweetest one

Ever heard ,

Ri ght it is and m eet R hyme should keep not true Time with such a sweet

Thing as you .

Meet it i s th at rhym e S houl d not gain such grace What is April ’ s prim e To your face ?

What to yours is May ’s Rosiest smile ? what sound Like your l aughter sways All hearts round ?

None can tell in m etre Fit for e ars on earth Wh at sweet star grew sweeter

At your birth .

2 52

B A B Y - B I R D

- - ABY BI RD , baby bird , Ne ’ er a song on earth

May be heard , m ay be he ard ,

Rich a s yours in mirth .

Al l your ﬂickering ﬁngers ,

All your twinkling toes , Play like light that li ngers

Till th e clear song close .

- - Baby bird , baby bird , Your grave m ajestic eyes Like a bird ’ s warbled words

S peak , and sorrow dies .

’ for Sorrow dies love s sake ,

Love grows one with mirth , ’ for Even one white dove s sake ,

Born a babe on earth .

- - Baby bird , baby bird ,

Chirping loud an d long ,

Other bi rds h ush their words ,

H earkening toward you r song .

2 54 B A B Y - B I R D

a s S weet Spring though it ring , ’ of Full love s own lures ,

We ak and wrong sounds their song , f S inging a ter yours .

- - B aby bird , b aby bird , The happy heart that b e a rs S eem s to wi n back within f H eaven , and cast out ears .

Earth and su n seem as one S weet light an d one sweet word

o f Known none here but one ,

Known of one sweet bird .

2 55 O L I V E

HO m ay praise her ? Eyes where midnight sh am es

of Hair night and sunshine spun , ’ ’ W of oven d awn s or twilight s loom ,

Radiant darkness , lustrous gloom , ’ ﬂ ow e rlik e Godlike Childhood s bloom ,

None m ay p raise aright , nor sing H alf the grace wherewith like spring

Love arrays h er .

Love untold

S ings in silence , speaks in light f f f S h ed rom each air eature , bright f Still rom heaven , whence toward us , now

b ow Nine ye ars since , She deigned to of Down the brightness h er brow , Deigned to pass through mortal birth

Reverence calls her , here on earth ,

Nine ye ars ol d .

2 56

O L I V E

Ever found such grace as might Tune his tongue to praise arigh t

o f lov e Chi ldren , ﬂowers and light , Whom our praise dispraises : we

S ing , i n sooth , but not as h e

S ang thanksgiving .

Hope th at smiled , n e w - S eeing her born beauty , m ade ’ o f o w n Out hea ven s light and shade ,

f so : S miled not hal sweetly love , f S eeing th e su n , a ar above ,

Warm the nest that rears the dove ,

S ees , more bright th an moon or sun , Al l the heaven o f heavens in one

Little child .

? Who m ay sing h e r Wings o f angels when they stir Make no m usic worthy her S weeter sound her Shy soft words ’ Here than songs o f God s own birds Whom the fire o f r apture girds Round with light from love ’ s face lit Hands o f angel s find no fit f Gi ts to bring her .

2 59 O L I V E

VIII

B abes at birth

Wear as raiment round them cast ,

Keep as witness toward their p ast ,

f of Tokens le t h eaven ; and each ,

its Ere lips learn mortal speech ,

Ere sweet h eaven pass on pass reach , Bears in u ndiverted eyes Proof of unforgotten skies

H ere on e arth .

Q a s \ uenched embers Q¢1e n c h e d with ﬂakes of rain or snow

f lo w Till the l ast aint ﬂam e burns , All those lustrous memories lie Dead with babyhood gone by Yet i n her they dare not die f Others , air as heaven is , yet ,

Now f they share not heaven , orget

She remembers . A W O R D W I T H T H E W I N D

ORD o f days an d nights that hear thy word of wintry

warning ,

f s et Wind , whose eet are on ways th at none m ay

tread , Change the nest wherein thy wings are ﬂedged for ﬂight

by m orning , Change the harbour whence at dawn thy sails are

Spread . f Not th e dawn , ere yet the i mprisoning night has h al

released her , ’ f f of More desires the sun s ull ace cheer , than we , Wel l as yet we love the strength of the i ron -tongued

- north easter , f Yearn or wind to meet us as we front th e sea .

All thy w ays are good , O wind , and all the worl d should f ester , f f Were thy our ol d godhead quenched , or stilled thy stri fe Yet the waves and we desire too long the deep south

wester ,

Wh ence the waters quicken shoreward , clothed with

l i fe .

2 6 0

A W O R D W I T H T H E W I N D

o f f Dreams , and dreams not th e darkling hours be ore f nor a ter , Winged with cloud whose wrath shall bid love ’s d ay

be done . Yet shall darkness bring th e awakening Se a a lordlier

lover , Clothed with strength more amorous and more

strenuous will , Whence her heart of hearts shall kindle and her soul recover ’ S ense of love too keen to lie for love s sake still .

- Let thy strong south western music sound , and bid the billows f B righten , proud and glad to eel thy scourge and kiss

Sting and soothe and sway them , bowed as aspens bend

or willows ,

Yet resurgent still in breathless rage of bliss . Al l to - day the slow Sleek ripples h ardly bear up shore

ward , f Ch arged with sigh s more light than l aughte r , aint f and air , Like a woodland l ake ’ s we ak wavelets lightly lingering f orward , - S oft and listless as the slumber stricken air .

sk Be the sunshine bared or veiled , th e y superb or t sh rouded , f f Stil l th e waters , l ax and l anguid , cha ed and oiled ,

Keen and thwarted , pale and p atient , clothed with ﬁ re

or clouded ,

2 6 2 A W O R D W I T H T H E W I N D

Vex their heart in vain , or sleep like serpents coiled .

for fﬂ Thee they look , bli nd and b a ed , wan with wrath

and weary , Blown for ever b ack by winds that rock the bird

se a m ew s s e a Winds th at breast subdue the , an d bid the dreary

Waves be weak as he arts m ade sick with hope deferred . f Let thy cl arion sound rom westward , let the south be ar token How the glories of th y godhead sound and shine ’ Bid the l and rejoi ce to s e e the land -Wind s broad wi ngs

broken , f se a . Bid the take com ort , bid the world be thine

f se a H al the world abhors thee beating back the , and bl ackenin g H eaven with ﬁerce and woful change o f ﬂ u c tu a n t form f Al l the world accl aims thee sh i ting sail again , and slackening

- Cloud by cloud the close ree fed cordage o f the storm . S weeter ﬁelds and brighter woods and lordlier hills than waken H ere at sunrise never h ailed the su n and thee f Turn thee then , and give th e m com ort , shed like rain and sh aken

Far a s foam th at laughs and le aps along the se a .

2 6 3 N E A P - T I D E

off se a f AR is the , and the l and i s a ar

low The banks reach at the Sky ,

S een hence , and are heavenward high ;

fo r o f Though light the leap a boy they are ,

And the fa r se a l ate was nigh .

f The ai r wild ﬁelds and the circling downs , The bright sweet m arshes and meads

ﬂ ow e rlik e All glorious with weeds ,

- The great grey churches , the Sea washed towns ,

Recede as a dre am recedes .

’ The worl d draws back , and the worl d s light wanes , As a dream dies down and is de ad ; And the clouds and the gleams overhead

Change , and change ; and the Sea rem ains , f A shadow o dreamlike dread .

f Wild and wo ul , and p ale , and grey ,

o f f A shadow sleepless ear ,

for A corpse with the night bier , Th e fai rest th i ng th at behol ds th e d ay

Lies haggard and hopeless h ere .

2 64

N E A P - T I D E

More s a d than a moon th at clouds beleaguer

And storm is a scourge to smite , The sick sun ’ s shadowlike light f Grows aint as the clouds and th e waves w ax eager ,

And withers away from sight .

’ ’ The day s heart cowers , and the night s heart quickens Full fain would the day be dead And the stark night reign i n his stead The se a falls dumb as the sea - fog thickens

And the sunset dies for dre ad .

of of Outside the range time , whose bre ath I s kee n as the m ansl aye r ’s knife

for f And his peace but a truce stri e , Who knows if haply the shadow of death May be not the light o f life ?

For the storm and the rain and the darkness borrow f B ut an hour rom th e suns to be , f But a strange swi t passage , that we

- - May rejoice , who have mourned not to day , to morrow ,

I n the sun and the wind and th e sea .

2 66 B Y T H E W A Y S I D E

’ f w a s SUMMER S ace rosiest , skies and woods were mellow , f Earth h ad heaven to riend , and heaven h ad earth to f ellow ,

Whe n w e m et where wooded hills and m eadows m eet . ’ f Autum n s ace is p ale , and all her late le aves yellow ,

Now th at here agai n we greet .

f Wan with ye ars whereo this eightieth ne ars De ce mbe r , f Fair and bright with love , the kind old ace I know S hines above the sweet sm all twain whose eyes remember ’ H eaven , and ﬁll with April s light this p ale November , ’ r n l Though the dark year s gl ass u ow .

Like a rose wh ose j oy of life h er silence utters

Whe n the birds are loud , an d low the lulled win d mutters ,

Grave and silent shines the boy nigh three y ears old .

h is f Wise and sweet smile , th at alters not nor ﬂutters ,

Glows , and turns the gloom to gold .

’ - Like the new born sun s th at strikes th e dark and sl ays it ,

for o f S o that eve n love light it sm iles and dies , Laughs the boy ’ s blithe face whose fair fourth year arrays it

2 67 B Y T I I E W A Y S I D E

All with light o f li fe and mirth that stirs and sways it

And fulﬁls the deep wide eyes .

’ Wide and warm with glowing l aughter s exultation ,

o f f of Full welcome , ull sunbright j ubil ation , f ’ Flash my taller riend s quick eyebe am s , charged with glee But with softer still and Sweeter salutation ’ Shine my smal ler friend s on m e .

Little arms ﬂung round my bending neck , th at yoke it f Fast i n tender bondage , draw my ace down too Toward the ﬂ ow er-soft face whose dumb deep smiles

invoke it ,

Dumb , but love can read the radi ant eyes that woke it , ’ Blue as June s mid he aven is blue .

Ho w f h ow t m ay men ﬁnd re uge , shoul d h ear s be

shielded ,

From the weapons thus by little children wiel ded , When they lift such eyes as light this lustrous face

Eyes that woke love sleeping unawares , and yielded

for f o f Love love , a gi t grace ,

’ f Grace beyond m an s m erit , love that l aughs , orgiving

s in of Even the being no more a child , nor worth f ’ Trust and love that l avish gi ts above m an s giving ,

o f Touch or gl ance eyes and lips the sweetest living , Fai r as he aven and ki nd as earth ?

2 68

I N T I M E O F M O U R N I N G

ETURN ’ f , we dare not as we ain Would cry from hearts th at ye arn Love dares not bid our dead again

Return .

0 hearts that strai n an d burn As ﬁres fast fettered burn and strain

Bow down , lie still , an d learn .

The heart th at healed all hearts of pain No funeral rites inurn

Its echoes , while the stars re m ain

Return .

2 7 0 T H E I N T E R P R E T E R S

AYS dawn on u S that m ake amends for m any

S ometimes , Whe n heaven and earth see m sweeter even than any ’ Man s rhymes .

Light had not all been quenched i n France , or quelled

I n Greece ,

H ad Homer sung not , or h ad Hugo held

H is peace .

H ad S appho ’s sel f not left her word thus long

For token , The se a round Lesbos yet in waves of song

H ad spoken .

And yet these days of subtler air and ﬁner

Delight ,

When lovelier looks the darkness , and diviner The light

2 7 1 T I I E I N T E R P R E T E R S

f o f The gi t they give all these golden hours , Whose urn Pou rs forth reverberate rays or Shadowing showers I n turn

’ Clouds , beams , and wi nds th at make the live day s track S eem living What were they did no spirit give them back Thanksgiving ?

Dead air , dead ﬁre , dead shapes and shadows , telling Time nought ;

Man gives them sense and soul by song , and dwelling

I n thought .

In hum an thought their being endures , their power Abides El se were their li fe a thing that each light hour

Derides .

The years live , work , sigh , smile , and die , with all They che rish ;

fe d f The soul endures , though dreams th at it all

And perish .

2 7 2

T H E R E C A L L

ETUR N , th ey cry , ere yet your day

sk S et , and the y grow stern

Return , strayed souls , while yet ye m ay

Return .

But heavens beyond us yearn ;

o f Yea , heights he aven above the sway

Of stars th at eyes discern .

The soul whose wings from shoreward stray Makes toward h er viewless bourne

f f sa Though trustless aith and un aith y ,

Return .

2 7 4 B Y T W I L I G H T

F we dream that desire of th e distance above us

f f of S hould b e ettered by ear the shadows th at seem , If we wake , to be nought , but to h ate or to love us If we dream ,

Night sinks on the soul , an d th e stars as they gleam

u s Speak m en ace or mourning , with tongues to reprove

That we deemed of them better th an terror m ay deem .

if if f u s But hope m ay not lure u s , ear m ay not move , Thought lightens the darkness wherein th e suprem e of Pure presence death sh all assu re us , and prove us

I f we dream .

2 7 5 A B A B Y ’ S E P I T A P H

PRI L m ade m e : winter l aid m e here away asleep . Bright a s Maytim e was my daytim e ; night is soft and deep f Though the morrow bring orth sorrow , well are ye that

weep .

Ye that held m e dear beheld m e not a twelvemonth long '

s a w All the while ye me smile , ye knew not whence the song

Came that made m e smile , and laid me here , and

wrought you wrong .

f u n de ﬁled Angels , calling rom your brawling world one , m e f Homeward bade , and orbade me here to rest b e gu ﬂ e d

He re I : sleep not pass , and weep not here upon your

child .

2 7 6

I N M E M O R Y O F J O H N WI L L I A M I NC H B O L D

ARE WE L L f how Shoul d not such as thou are well , f Though we are ill that love thee , and that live , ’ And know , whate er the days wherein we dwell ? May give us , thee again they will not give

a nd w e of Peace , rest , sleep are all know death ,

of f : for And all we dre am com ort yet thee , of f Whose bre ath li e was bright and strenuous breath ,

We think the change is other than we see .

Th e seal o f sleep se t on thine eyes to -day S urely can seal not up the keen swift light

That lit them once for ever . Night cail sl ay

None save the children of th e womb of night .

The ﬁ re that burns up d aw n to bring forth noon Was father o f thy spirit : how shouldst thou Die a s they die for whom th e su n and m oon ? Are silent Thee the darkness holds not n ow

Them , while th ey looked upon the light , and deemed

f w a s fo r That l i e theirs l iving i n the sun ,

s : The darkne s hel d in bondage and they dream ed ,

\V h o e k n w not th at such li fe as th eirs w a s none .

2 7 8 I N MEMORY OF J O HN WI LLIAM INC HBOL D

su n To th ee the sp ake , and the morning sang Notes deep and clear a s l ife or heaven : the se a That sounds for them but wild w aste music rang

Notes that were lost not when they rang for thee .

The mountains clothed with light and night and ch ange , Th e l akes alive with win d and cloud and sun

Made answer , by constraint sublim e and strange ,

To the ardent h and that b ade thy will be done .

se a We m ay not bid the mountains mourn , the That lived an d lightened from thine hand again

a s of Moan , old woul d m en that mourned as we

of A m an beloved , a m an el ect m en ,

A m an that loved them . Vain , divine and vain , The dre am th at touched with thoughts or tears of ours

of su n The spirit sense th at lives i n and rain ,

f . S ings out in birds , and breathes and ades i n ﬂowers

for for f Not our joy they live , and our grie

They die not . Though thine eye be closed , thine hand f Powerless as mine to paint them , not a lea I n English woods or gl ades of S witzerl and

n ow f f . lov e Falls earlier , ades aster All our ’ Moves not our mother s changeless heart , who gives

A little light to eyes an d stars above , ’ A little life to e ach m an s heart that lives .

2 7 9 IN MEMO RY OF J O H N W I LLIAM I NC HBO LD

f se a A littl e li e to heaven and earth an d ,

of To stars and souls reve aled night and day ,

: sh e And ch ange , the one thing ch angeless yet sh all

. sa ? Cease too , perchance , and perish Who shall y

t Our mo he r Nature , dark and sweet as Sleep , f n f And strange as li e and stro g as de ath , holds ast ,

o u r Even as she holds hearts alive , the deep

- Dumb secret of her ﬁ rst born births and l ast .

w e f But this , know , sh al l cease not till the stri e O f nights and days an d fears and hopes ﬁnd end

f o f life Thi s , through the brie eternities , f f Endures , and calls rom death a living riend ;

The l ove m ade strong with knowledge , whence conﬁrm ed

The whole soul takes assurance , and the p ast ’ ’ (S o by ti me s measure , not by mem ory s , termed )

f . Lives present li e , and m ingles ﬁrst with l ast

no w o f I , long since thy guest m any days , f ’ Who oun d thy hearth a brother s , and with thee Tracked in an d out th e l i nes of rolling bays And bank s and gulfs and reaches of the se a

Deep dens wherein the wrestling water sobs And pant s with restless pain o f re ﬂ u e n t breath Till al l th e sunl ess hol l ow sounds and throbs With e bb an d ﬂ o w o f eddies dark a s death

2 8 0

IN MEMORY OF JO HN WI LLIAM I NC HBOL D

if For , beyond th e shadow and the sleep ,

for A place there be souls without a stain , f Where peace is per ect , and delight more deep

Than seas or Skies that ch ange and shine again ,

There none of all unsullied soul s th at live May hold a surer station : none m ay lend ’ ’ More light to hope s or memory s l amp , nor give

More joy than thi ne to those th at called th ee friend .

’ f is Yea , j oy rom sorrow s barren womb born When faith begets on grief the godlike child AS midnight ye arns with starry sense of morn

Se a w I n Arctic sum mers , though the wax ild ,

S o love , whose name is m emory , thrills at h e art ,

Remembering and rej oicing i n thee , now Alive where love m ay dre am not what thou art

But knows th at higher than hope or love art thou .

if Whatever he aven , heaven at all m ay be ,

of Await the sacred soul s good m en de ad , ’ n ow There , we mourn who loved hi m here , i s he .

of S o , sweet and stern speech , the Roman said ,

f Erect i n grie , in trust erect , and gave His deathless dead a deathless li fe even h ere Where day be ars down on day as wave on wave ’ f f And not m an s smile ades aste r than his tear .

2 8 2 I N MEMORY OF J O HN WI LLIAM INC HBO L D

f Albeit this gi t be given not m e to give , ’ s ell Nor power be mine to break time s silent p , Not less shal l love that dies not while I live

f f . Bid thee , beloved in li e and death , arewell

2 83 N E W Y E A R ’ S D AY

E W . year , be good to Engl and Bi d her name S h ine sunlike a s of old on all the se a Make strong her soul : set all her spirit free Bind fast her homeborn foes with links of shame More strong than iron and more keen th an ﬂam e ’ S eal up their lips for shame s sake : so sh all sh e f Who was the light th at lightened reedom be , ’

f . For all alse tongues , in all m en s eyes the s am e

’ - o f O l ast born child Time , e arth s eldest lord ,

u n disc row n e d of for God godhe ad , who m an

Begets all good and evi l things that live , h is n e w - Do thou , begotten son , implored O f f hearts that hope and ear not , m ake thy span

B right with such light a s history bids thee give .

a n u a r I 188 . j y , 9

2 8 4

N E L L G W Y N

' W o f EET heart , that no tai nt the throne or the stage f Could touch with unclean trans orm ation , or alte r To the likeness of courtiers whose conscien ces falter f At the smile or the rown , at the mirth or the rage , O f a m aster whom ch ance could inﬂame or assuage ,

of Our Lady Laughter , invoked in no psalter , f f f Adored o no aith ul that cringe and that palter ,

- Prai se be with thee yet from a h ag ridden age .

Our Lady of Pity thou wast : and to thee of se a All Engl and , whose sons are the sons the , if G ives thanks , and will hear not history snarls \Vhen the name of the friend of her sailors i s spoken And thy lover sh e cannot but love — by the token

That thy name was the last on the lips of King Charles .

2 8 6 C A L I B A N O N A R I E L

‘ Alis ba ckw a rd v oice is to u tter f ou l sp eec/z es a n d to detra ct

of HE tongue is loosed th at most lying Slave ,

Whom stripes m ay m ove , not kindness . Listen

of The real god song , Lord S teph ano , ’ if That s a brave god , ever god were brave , ’ : And bears celesti al liquor but , the kn ave ‘ (A most ridiculous monster) howls , we know ’ o f From Ariel s lips wh at springs poison ﬂow , Th e chicken -heart blasphem er ' Hear him rave

f Thou poisonous slave , got by the devil himsel

Upon thy wicked darn , the witch whose n ame ’ ff I s darkness , and the sun her eyes o ence , ’ e lf Though hell s hot sewerage breed no loathlier ,

Men cry not sh am e upon thee , seeing thy sham e

f : - S o per ect they but bi d thee H ag seed , hence T H E W E A R Y W E D D I N G

DAUG HTER , why do ye laugh and weep , One with another ?

w oe fo r For to wak e and will to sl eep ,

Mother , my mother .

w e d But weep ye winn a th e day ye ,

O ne with another .

For tears are dry when the springs are dead ,

Mother , my mother .

Too long have your tears run down lik e rain ,

One with another .

lov e For a long lost and a sweet love slain ,

Mother , my mother .

Too long have your tears dripped down like dew ,

O ne with anoth er .

For a knight that my sire and my breth ren slew ,

Moth er , my mother .

f Let past things peri sh and dead grie s lie ,

One with another . f f O ai n woul d I weep not , and ain would I die ,

Mother , my mother .

2 88

T H E W E A R Y W E D D I N G

And what will ye give you r brother Will ?

One with another . f ’ f ’ Li e s grie and world s ill ,

Mother , my mother .

And wh at will ye give your brother Hugh ?

One with a nother .

of f A bed tur to turn into ,

Mother , my mother .

And what will ye give your b roth er John ?

One with anothe r .

o f f The dust death to eed upon ,

Mother , my mother .

And what will ye give your bauld bridegroom ?

O ne with another .

A barren bed and an empty room ,

Mother , my mother .

And wh at will ye give your bridegroom ’ s friend ?

One with anoth er . f A weary oot to th e weary end , m y . Mother , m other

And wh at will ye give your blithe bridesm aid ?

O ne with another .

f se w G rie to and sorrow to braid ,

Mother , my m other .

2 90 T H E W E A R Y W E D D I N G

And what will ye drink the day ye ’ re wed ?

One with another . But a e drink of the wan well-he ad

Mother , my m other .

And Whatten a water is that to draw ?

One with another . f ’ f We m aun draw thereo a , we m aun drink thereo a

Mother , my m other .

’ And what sh all ye pu wh ere th e well rins deep ?

O ne. with anoth er .

of of Green herb death , ﬁne ﬂower sleep ,

Mother , my m other .

Are the re ony ﬁshes th at Swim therein ?

One with another .

ﬁ sh ﬁ sh The white grace , an d th e red Sin ,

Mother , my mother .

Are there ony birds th at sing thereby ?

One with another . 0 when they come thither they Sing till they die ,

Mother , my mother .

I s there ony draw-bucket to th at well - head ?

One with anoth er . ’ - lo w Th ere s a wee well bucket h angs by a th read ,

Mother , my m other .

2 9 1 T II E \V E AR Y W E D D I N G

And Wh atte n a th read is th at to spin ?

One with another .

’ ’ I t s fo r it s for green grace , and black Sin ,

Mother , my mother .

And what w ill ye strew on your bride - chamber ﬂoor ?

O ne with anoth er .

But one strewing and n o more ,

Mother , my mother .

And W h atten a strewing sh all th at one be ?

One with anoth e r .

o f of se a The dust earth and sand the , I\I oth e r . , my mother

And what will ye tak e to build your bed ?

O ne w ith another .

o f Sighing and shame and the bones th e dead ,

Mother , my moth er .

And what will ye we ar fo r you r wedding gown ?

One with anothe r .

fo r fo r Grass the green and dust the brown ,

Mother , my mothe r .

? And wh at will ye wear fo r your wedding lace

One with another . A f heavy heart and a hidde n ace ,

Moth e r , my m oth er .

2 9 2

T H E W E A R Y W E D D I N G

’ ’ The world s bliss and the worl d s teen ,

O ne with another , ’ ’ for for It s red white and it s bl ack green ,

Mother , my mother .

’ ’ The world s will and the world s way ,

O ne with another , ’ It s for for sighing night and crying day ,

m . Mother , y m other

’ ’ The worl d s good and the worl d s worth ,

One with another , ’ ’ I t s earth to ﬂesh an d it s ﬂesh to earth ,

Mother , my mother .

When she cam e out at the kirkyard gate , (O ne with another) The bridegroom ’s mother was there in wait

(Mother , my mother . )

0 mother , where is my great gree n bed , (O ne with another) f Silk at the oot and gold at the head , ? Mothe r , my mother

is Ye a , it ready , th e Silk and the gold ,

O ne with another .

2 94 T H E W E A R Y W E D D I N G

But line it well that I lie not cold ,

Mother , my mother .

S he l aid h er cheek to the velvet and vair , One with another ;

S he l aid her arm s up under h er h air .

(Mother , my mother . )

’ f fu low Her gold hair ell through h er arms , One with another

of Lord God , bring m e out woe

(Moth er , my mother . )

f Her gold hair ell in the gay reeds green , O ne with another :

of Lord God , bring me out teen

(Mother , my mother . )

is ? O mother , where my l ady gone

(O ne with another . ) I n the bride -ch amber sh e m akes sore moan

(Mother , my mother . )

f Her h air alls over the velvet and vair , (One with another)

H er gre at soft tears fall over her hair .

(Mother , my mother . )

2 95 T H E W E A R Y W E D D I N G

’ When he came into the bride s ch amber , (O ne with another)

Her hands were like pale yellow amber .

(Mother , my mother . )

Her tears m ade Specks in the velvet and vair , (One with another)

The seeds of the reeds m ade Specks in her h air .

(Mother , my mother . )

He kissed her under the gol d on her head ; (One with another)

The lids of her eyes were like col d le ad .

(Mother , my mother . )

He kissed her under the fall of her chin ; (O ne with another)

There was right little blood therein .

(Mother , my mother . )

He kissed her under her Shoulder sweet ; (One with another)

w a s . Her throat weak , with little heat

(Mother , my mother . )

-ﬂ ow ers He kissed her down by her breast red , O ne with another ;

- They were like river ﬂ ow e rs dead .

(Mother , my mother . )

2 96

T H E W E A R Y W E D D I N G

w e f Yea , ye are m ine , are hand ast wed ,

One with another . ’ Nay , I am no m an s ; n ay , I am dead ,

Mother , my mother . T H E W I N D S

’ fa WEARY the e ast wind ,

’ And weary fa the west : And gin I were under the wan waves wide

I wot weel wad I rest .

’ fa O weary the north wind , ’ And weary fa the south The sea went ower my good lord ’s head

Or ever he kissed my mouth .

’ fa Weary the windward rocks , ’ And we ary fa the lee

They might h ae sunken sevenscore ships , ’ And let my love s gang free .

’ ’ fa And weary ye , m ariners a , ’ And weary fa the se a It m ight hae taken an hundred men

And let my a e love be .

2 99 A L Y K E - W A K E S O N G

of f f of AI R ace , ull pride , ’ S it ye down by a dead m an s side .

’ Ye sang songs a the clay ’ Sit down at night in the red worm s way .

Proud ye were a ’ day long ’ Ye ll be but lean at evensong .

Ye h ad gowd kells on your h air

Nae m an kens wh at ye were .

Ye se t scorn by the silken stuff

Now the grave is cle an enough .

Ye set scorn by the rubis ring Now f the worm is a sa t sweet thing .

f f Fine gold and blithe air ace ,

Ye are come to a grimly pl ace .

Gol d hair and gl ad grey een , if Nae m an kens ye have been .

3 00

T H E W I T C H - M O T H E R

W HERE will ye gang to and where will ye sleep , Agai nst the night begin s ? ’

is w i My bed m ade caul d sorrows ,

My Sheets are lined w i sins .

f f And a sair grie sitting at my oot , And a sai r grie f at my h ead ;

An d dul e to l ay m e my laigh pillows ,

And teen till I be dead .

is f And the rain s ai r upon my ace , And sair upon my hair ;

And the wind upon my we ary mouth ,

Th at never m ay m an kiss m air .

And the snow upon my he avy lips , That never shall drink nor eat ;

c le ddin w oe And shame to g, and to wedding ,

And pain to drink and m e at .

’ f But woe be to my bairns ather , An d ever ill fare b e

He h as tane a braw bride h am e to him , ’ C ast out my bairns and me .

3 0 2 T H E W I T C H - M O T H E R

And wh at Sh all they have to their m arriage m eat This day they twain are wed ? ’

of of s a d Meat strong crying , salt sighing , ’ An d God restore the dead .

And wh at sh all they h ave to their wedding wi ne This day they twai n are wed ? ’ of of Wine weeping , and draughts sleeping , ’ And God raise up th e dead .

’ S he s tane her to the wild woodside , B etween the ﬂood and fell S he ’ s sought a rede against her need Of the ﬁend that bides in hell .

’ w a n S he s tane her to the burnside , S he ’s wrought w i’ sang and spell ’ S he s plighted her soul for doom and dole

To the ﬁend that bides in hell .

’ se t son S he s h er young to her b reast , Her auld son to her knee : for b a irnies S ays , Weel you the night , , ’ An d weel the m orn for m e .

’ fu S he looke d l ang in their een , sighing , An d sair and sair grat she :

S he has sl ain her young son at her breast ,

Her auld son at her knee .

3 0 3 T H E W I T C H - M O T H E R

’ ’ n w i f S he s sodde their ﬂesh sa t water , ’ S he s mixed their blood with wine :

’ - S h e s tane her to the braw bride house , ’ ’ Where a were boun to dine .

S he poured the red wine in his cup , And his een grew fain to greet :

S he set the baked meats at hi s h and , And bade hi m drink and e at

of S ays , Eat your ﬁll your ﬂesh , my lord ,

o f And drink your ﬁll your wine , For a ’ thing ’s yours and only yours ’ That h as been yours and m ine .

of S ays , Drink your ﬁll your wine , my lord , And e at your ﬁll o f your bread :

I would they were quick i n my body again , ’ Or I that bare them de ad .

f f He struck her head rae her air body , And dead for grief he fell

And there were twae m air sangs in heaven ,

And twae m air sauls in hell .

3 04

T H E B R I D E ’ S T R A G E D Y

Th e winds are strang , and the nights are And the ways are sair to ride

And I m aun gang to wreak my wrang , ’ And ye m aun bide and bide .

I n , in , out and in ,

Bl aws the wind and whirls the whin .

‘ Gin I m aun bide and bide , Willie , I wot my weird is sair

Weel m ay ye get ye a light love yet , ’ But never a mither m air .

In , in , out and in ,

Blaws the wind and whirls the whin .

w i’ O gin the morrow be great sorrow , ’ The wyte be yours of a But though ye Sl ay m e th at h aud and stay The weird ye will m aun

In , in , out and in ,

Blaws the wind and whirls the whin .

c raw in c When cocks were g and day was lawing , ’ ’ He s boun him forth to ride : ’ And the a e ﬁrst m ay h e s met that day f ’ Was ause Earl Robert s bride .

In , in , out and in ,

Blaws the wind and whirls the whin .

3 06 T H E B R I D E ’ S T R A G E D Y

’ -f O blithe and braw were the bride olk a , But sa d an d saft rade she ; w a s f And sad as doom her ause bridegroom , b But fair and fain was e .

In , in , out and in ,

Blaws the wind and whirls the whin .

s a e f And winn a ye bide , sa t ye ride , An d winn a ye spe ak w i’ m e ? For mony ’ s the word and the kindly word ’ ’ I h ave spoken a ft w i thee .

I n , in , out and in

Blaws the wind and whirls the whin .

My l amp was lit yestreen , Willie , My window -gate was wide But ye camen a nigh me till day cam e by ’ And m ade me not your bride .

I n , in , out and in

Bl aws the wind and whirls th e whin .

’ set - He s his hand to her bridle rein , He ’s turned her horse away w a s And the cry was sair , and the wrath f And ast and fain rode they .

In , in , out and in ,

Blaws the wind and whirls the whin .

3 0 7 T H E B R I D E ’ S T R A G E D Y

f But when they came by Choller ord , I w o t the ways were fell ;

For broad and brown the Sp ate swang down ,

And the lift w a s mirk as hell .

I n , in , out and in ,

Blaws the Wind and whirls the whin .

ou f And will ye ride y ell water , Or will ye bide for fear ? ’ ’ ’ w in 0 f Nae scathe ye ll your ather s kin , ’ Though they should slay m e here .

I n , in , out and in ,

Blaws the wind and whirls the whin .

f ou f I h ad lie er ride y ell water ,

Though strange it be to ride , T han I wad stand on the fair green strand ’ And thou be sl ain beside .

In , in , out and in ,

Bl aws the wind an d whirls the whin .

f I had lie e r swim yon wil d water ,

Though sair it be to bide , ’ Th an I wad stand at a strange m an s hand , ’ ’ To be a strange m an s bride .

I n , in , out and in ,

Blaws the wind and whirls the whin .

3 0 8

T H E B R I D E ’ S T R A G E D Y

But when they wan to the m id water , I t smote them h and and head : And n ae m an k nows but the wave that ﬂows

Where they lie drowned and dead .

I n , i n , out and in ,

Bl aws the wind and whirls the whin .

3 I o A J A C O B I T E ’ S F A R E W E L L

’ HERE S n ae m air l ands to tyne , my dear , And nae m air lives to gie

Though a m an think sair to live nae m air , ’ Th ere s but one day to die .

’ ’ For a things come and a days gane , What needs ye rend your h air ? ’ But kiss m e till the morn s morrow , ’ Then I ll kiss ye n ae m air .

f ’ O l ands are lost and li e s losing , And Wh at were they to gie ? ’ Fu m ony a m an gives all he can ,

B ut nae m an else gives ye .

’ Our king wons ower the se a s water , An d I in prison sair : ’ ’ But I ll win out th e morn s morrow , ’ And ye ll se e me nae m air .

3 1 1 A J A C O B I T E ’ S E ' I L E

HE weary day rins down and dies , The weary night wears through f w i’ And never an hour is air ﬂower , ’ And never a ﬂower w i dew .

for I would the day were night me , I woul d the night were day f For then would I stand in my ain air l and ,

As n ow in dreams I m ay .

ﬂ ow O lordly the Loire and S eine , And loud the dark Durance : But bonnier shine the braes of Tyne ’ Th an a the ﬁelds of France ; And the waves of Till that speak sa e still

Gleam goodlier where they gl ance .

O weel were they th at fell ﬁghting ’ On dark Dru m ossie s day fa e m Th ey k eep their hame ayont the , i An d w e d e far away .

3 1 2

A J A C O B I T E ’ S E X I L E

f ’ S cathe , and Sh ame , and a wae u n ame ,

And a weary time and strange , H ave they that seeing a weird for dreeing

C an die , and cannot change .

S ham e and scorn m ay we thole th at mourn Though sair be they to dree w e But ill may bide the thoughts we hide ,

s a Mair keen than wind and e .

’ I ll m ay we thole the night s watches , And ill the weary day :

of And the dream s th at keep the gates sleep , ’ A waefu gift gie they ;

For the sangs they sing us , the Sights they bring

The morn bl aws all away .

Aik e n sh a w On the sun blinks braw , The burn rin S blithe and fain There ’s nought w i’ me I wadna gie

To look thereon again .

On K e ilde r- Side the wind bl aws wide There sounds n ae hunting -horn That rings sa e sweet as the winds th at be at

Round banks where Tyne is born .

The Wansbeck sings with all her springs , The bents and braes give ear ;

3 1 4 A J A C O B I T E ’ S E X I L E

’ But the wood th at rings w i the sang Sh e I m ay not se e nor he ar ;

fa r fa r For and thae blithe burns are , ’ And strange is a thing near .

The light there lightens , the day there brightens , The loud wind there lives free Nae light comes nigh m e or wind bl aws by m e

Th at I wad he ar or se e .

But O gin I were there again , f fa em A ar ayont the , C aul d and de ad in the sweet saft bed That haps my sires at hame

’ se e se a - f We ll n ae m air the banks air ,

sk And the sweet grey gleaming y , of orth u m b erla n d And the lordly strand N , And the goodly towers thereby And none sh all know but the winds that blow

The graves wherein we lie .

3 1 5 T H E T Y N E S I D E W I D O W

HERE ’S mony a m an loves l and and Loves life and l and and fe e f And mony a m an loves air women ,

But never a m an loves m e , my love ,

But never a m an loves m e .

’ for O weel and weel a lovers , I wot weel m ay they be ; ’ for f And weel and weel a air m aidens ,

for But aye m air woe me , my love ,

f r But aye m air woe o me .

w i’ ’ O weel be you , ye sm a ﬂowers , Ye ﬂowers and every tree ; w i’ ’ And weel be you , a birdies , w i’ But teen and tears m e , my love , i’ But teen and tears w me .

O weel be yours , my three brethren , And ever weel be ye ; ’ Wi for for deeds doing and loves wooing ,

for But never a love m e , my love ,

f r But never a love o me .

3 1 6

T H E T Y N E S I D E W I D O W

f fa e m The ather under the , my dear , O sound and sound sleeps he ;

fa e m f I would the were ower my ace , f And the ather l ay by m e , my love , f And the ather l ay by m e .

fa em f I would the were ower my ace , Or the mools on my e e-bree ; ’ - And waking time with a lovers , ’ - w i But sleeping time me , my love , ’ - i But Sleeping time w m e .

I would the mools were meat in my mouth The saut fa e m in my e e ; And the l and - worm and the water-worm ’ f fu To eed sweet on m e , my love , ’ u To feed f sweet on me .

f of My li e is sealed with a seal love , And locked with love for a key ;

And I lie wrang and I wake lang , ’ for But ye tak n ae thought m e , my ’ f But ye tak n ae thought or m e .

f of We were weel ain love , my dear , O fain and fain were we ; ’ I t was weel with a the we ary world , w i’ But O , sae weel m e , my love , i’ w . But O , sae weel m e

3 1 8 T H E T Y N E S I D E W I D O W

We were n ane ower mony to sleep , my dear , I wot we were but three ; And never a bed in the weary world

For my bairn and my dear and me , my love ,

For my bairn and my dear and m e .

3 1 9

D E D I C A T I O N

One landm ark never can ch ange remove , ff One Sign can the years e ace not . Love ,

More strong than death or than doubt m ay be ,

Treads down their strengths , and abides above .

h is : Yea , ch ange and death are serv ants we , of f f Whom love the dead links ast , though ree , May smile as they that beheld the dove

Bear hom e her signal across the se a . I NDEX TO POEMS

I N D E X T O P O E M S

1 8 8 To . DEDICATION , 7 ( SI R RICHARD F BU RTON ) T o W DEDICATION , ( I LLIAM BELL SCOTT ) EPICEDE E '-VOTO

FORSAKEN GARDEN , A FOU R SONG S OF FOU R SEASONS

I . W INTER IN NO R T I IUMB E R L AND

II . SPRING IN TUSCANY

III . SUMME R IN AUVE RGNE

v I . AUTUMN IN CORNWALL E GAUTIER , TH OPHILE

GAUTIER , MEMORIAL VERSES ON THE DEATH OF TH EO PHILE W G YN , NELL

1 8 HUGO IN 7 7 , VICTOR

H UGO , FROM VICTO R

HUG O , TO VICTOR IN A GARDEN IN O B I TUM THE O PHI L I POET / E INFE RIAE I NC H B O L D I , IN MEMO RY OF JOHN WI LL AM

INTERPRETERS , THE IN THE BAY IN TIME OF MOURNING ’ J ACOBITE S EXILE , A ’ W JACOBITE S FARE ELL , A

KOSSUTH , TO LOUIS

LAST O RACLE , THE -W LYKE AKE SONG , A

3 2 6 I N D E X T O P O E M S

MARCH : AN ODE NEAP— TIDE NEW YEAR ’S DAY NIGHT NOCTU RNE ODE (LE TOMBEAU DE TH EOPHILE GAUTIER ) OLIVE PAN AND THAL ASSI US PASTICHE

RECALL , THE RE LICS ’ - REIVE R S NECK VERSE , A

RHYME , A RI Z PAH

SEAMEW , TO A SESTINA SONG

SON G IN SEASON , A SONNET (WITH A COPY OF MAD E MOI SE L L E D E MAUPI N )

TAYLO R , ON TIIE DEATH OF SI R HEN RY

TOU RNEU R , CYRIL TRIADS Tw o LEADE RS W TYNESIDE IDOW , THE

VILLON , A BALLAD OF FRAN COIS

VILLON , TRANSLATIONS FROM THE FRENCH OF THE COMPLAINT OF THE FAI R AR MO UR E SS A DOUB LE BALLAD OF GOOD COUNSEL

3 2 7 I N D E X T O P O E M S

FRAGMENT ON D E AT I I BALLAD OF THE LORDS OF OLD TIM E BALLAD OF THE WOMEN OF PARIS BALLAD WRITTEN FO R A BRIDEGROOM BALLAD AGAINST THE ENEM IES OF FRANCE TH E DISPUTE OF THE HEART AND BODY OF FRAN CO IS VI L LON EPISTLE IN FORM OF A BALLAD TO HIS FRIENDS TH E EPITAPH IN FORM OF A BALLAD

VISION OF SPRING IN WINTER , A

WASTED VIGIL , A

WEARY WEDDING , THE W Z H ITE C AR , THE

- WITCH MOTHER , THE W E INDS , TH W ORD WITH THE WIND , A

YEAR OF THE ROSE , THE