English

" Love's a garment only meant
For the minstrel and romancer. "
This is all that she has sent
To my pleadings as an answer.

How the words come back again,
Still as careless, still as bitter —
Like a harsh and mocking strain
Played upon a tinkling zither.

Like a prisoner chained alone,
Dullness binds me, wrist and ankle —
All the evil thoughts are gone

Night, sing to her
All of thy songs.
Night, bring to her
Dreams that will cling to her,
Dreams that will move her with tears for my wrongs.
Night, sing to her.

Night, care for her —
All of her sins,
Night, bear for her —
Beauty's a prayer for her,
Beauty's a prayer which she ends and begins —
Night, care for her.

Night, sing to her
All that has lain
Like a dead thing to her —

I sent her a fortnight ago
A lily, a rose and a song;
Three fair little symbols to show
That Love had forgiven the wrong.
And I said to the flowers, " Be fair , "
And I said to the song, " Be my voice " ;
And I took and I placed them with care
In a book that had made her rejoice.

To-day she returned them to me
Unanswered, untouched and untried —
And I wept, when I found them, to see

" While the world is soothed with sleep,
Wrapped in fever I am lying,
And I hear the angels weep —
Who is it that lies a-dying? "
" Dearest, dearest,
What thou hearest
Are the winds that wander sighing. "

" Nay, for I can see his face,
Burning with its fearful story;
Look — it glares at me through space
Like a death-head, scarred and gory. "
" Dearest, dearest,
What thou fearest

Every night I climb the stair,
And with every fresh ascending
Comes the moment of despair.
Will she meet me — will she dare
And each night (oh happy ending)
She is there!

People fear the house — they say
It has stood unclaimed, unwanted
Since a dying lover lay
While he heard his love betray;
Sprang up — and the rooms are haunted
To this day.

But we come here where no eye

" Only of thee and me the nightwind sings,
Only of us the sailors speak at sea,
The earth is filled with wondered whisperings
Only of thee and me.

" Only of thee and me the breakers chant,
Only of us the stir in bush and tree;
The rain and sunshine tell the eager plant
Only of thee and me.

" Only of thee and me, till all shall fade;
Only of us the whole world's thoughts can be —
For we are Love, and God Himself is made

Away with doleful maundering, away with fretful days,
Away with all that smacks of grief, of tears and banners furled,
An end to dull perplexities, an end to old dismays,
There is promise in her eyes — there is promise in the world.
Her mood is subtly changing; she has whispers for me now;
Her eyes meet mine more quickly, and more quickly leave my gaze.
Her heart perhaps has melted to a word somewhere, somehow —

The singers of old, Thrasybulus, who mounted the car of the Queens of Song,
The golden-tired, giving voice to the ringing lyre and the tuneful tongue,
Shot lightly the arrows of honey-sweet strains in the fair one's praise,
Whosoever by bright summer-bloom of lovely form and face
Stirred hearts to dream upon splendour-throned Aphrodite's grace.

For then was the Muse not yet a lover of gain, nor a hireling was she.
Nor then honey-throated Terpsichore sold the melting melody

We will lead the revel, O Queens of Song, from Apollo's Sikyonian fane
Unto new-built Etna, — whose doors flung wide are too strait the throng of her guests to contain —
On unto Chromius' wealthy palace. Upraise ye the chant of lips sweet-singing!
He hath mounted his car of the steeds triumphant, proclaiming a hymn in the Mother's praise
And of her twin offspring who ward in fellowship Pytho through everlasting days.

A saying there is among men — " It befits not that great deeds done be amerced of fame

O queenly Muse, our mother, hitherward come, I pray,
When the holy Moon brings round the Nemean festal day,
To Aegina the guest-thronged Dorian isle. Where the ripples are sliding
Of Asopian waves, young craftsmen of songs honey-savoured, abiding
Thy coming, are longing to hear thy voice's great song-burden!
Sooth, diverse deeds ever thirst for many a diverse guerdon,
But victory in these Games above all things loveth Song