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Maintain a sway
Not fore…desired; in tracks unchosen and unchecked。
And yet; at thy last breath; with mindless note
The borough clocks but samely tongued the hour;
The Avon just as always glassed the tower;
Thy age was published on thy passing…bell
But in due rote
With other dwellers' deaths accorded a like knell。
And at the strokes some townsman (met; maybe;
And thereon queried by some squire's good dame
Driving in shopward) may have given thy name;
With; 〃Yes; a worthy man and well…to…do;
Though; as for me;
I knew him but by just a neighbour's nod; 'tis true。
〃I' faith; few knew him much here; save by word;
He having elsewhere led his busier life;
Though to be sure he left with us his wife。〃
〃Ah; one of the tradesmen's sons; I now recall 。 。 。
Witty; I've heard 。 。 。
We did not know him 。 。 。 Well; good…day。 Death comes to all。〃
So; like a strange bright bird we sometimes find
To mingle with the barn…door brood awhile;
Then vanish from their homely domicile …
Into man's poesy; we wot not whence;
Flew thy strange mind;
Lodged there a radiant guest; and sped for ever thence。
1916。
QUID HIC AGIS?
I
When I weekly knew
An ancient pew;
And murmured there
The forms of prayer
And thanks and praise
In the ancient ways;
And heard read out
During August drought
That chapter from Kings
Harvest…time brings;
… How the prophet; broken
By griefs unspoken;
Went heavily away
To fast and to pray;
And; while waiting to die;
The Lord passed by;
And a whirlwind and fire
Drew nigher and nigher;
And a small voice anon
Bade him up and be gone; …
I did not apprehend
As I sat to the end
And watched for her smile
Across the sunned aisle;
That this tale of a seer
Which came once a year
Might; when sands were heaping;
Be like a sweat creeping;
Or in any degree
Bear on her or on me!
II
When later; by chance
Of circumstance;
It befel me to read
On a hot afternoon
At the lectern there
The selfsame words
As the lesson decreed;
To the gathered few
From the hamlets near …
Folk of flocks and herds
Sitting half aswoon;
Who listened thereto
As women and men
Not overmuch
Concerned at such …
So; like them then;
I did not see
What drought might be
With me; with her;
As the Kalendar
Moved on; and Time
Devoured our prime。
III
But now; at last;
When our glory has passed;
And there is no smile
From her in the aisle;
But where it once shone
A marble; men say;
With her name thereon
Is discerned to…day;
And spiritless
In the wilderness
I shrink from sight
And desire the night;
(Though; as in old wise;
I might still arise;
Go forth; and stand
And prophesy in the land);
I feel the shake
Of wind and earthquake;
And consuming fire
Nigher and nigher;
And the voice catch clear;
〃What doest thou here?〃
The Spectator 1916。 During the War。
ON A MIDSUMMER EVE
I idly cut a parsley stalk;
And blew therein towards the moon;
I had not thought what ghosts would walk
With shivering footsteps to my tune。
I went; and knelt; and scooped my hand
As if to drink; into the brook;
And a faint figure seemed to stand
Above me; with the bygone look。
I lipped rough rhymes of chance; not choice;
I thought not what my words might be;
There came into my ear a voice
That turned a tenderer verse for me。
TIMING HER
(Written to an old folk…tune)
Lalage's coming:
Where is she now; O?
Turning to bow; O;
And smile; is she;
Just at parting;
Parting; parting;
As she is starting
To come to me?
Where is she now; O;
Now; and now; O;
Shadowing a bough; O;
Of hedge or tree
As she is rushing;
Rushing; rushing;
Gossamers brushing
To come to me?
Lalage's coming;
Where is she now; O;
Climbing the brow; O;
Of hills I see?
Yes; she is nearing;
Nearing; nearing;
Weather unfearing
To come to me。
Near is she now; O;
Now; and now; O;
Milk the rich cow; O;
Forward the tea;
Shake the down bed for her;
Linen sheets spread for her;
Drape round the head for her
Coming to me。
Lalage's coming;
She's nearer now; O;
End anyhow; O;
To…day's husbandry!
Would a gilt chair were mine;
Slippers of vair were mine;
Brushes for hair were mine
Of ivory!
What will she think; O;
She who's so comely;
Viewing how homely
A sort are we!
Nothing resplendent;
No prompt attendant;
Not one dependent
Pertaining to me!
Lalage's coming;
Where is she now; O?
Fain I'd avow; O;
Full honestly
Nought here's enough for her;
All is too rough for her;
Even my love for her
Poor in degree。
She's nearer now; O;
Still nearer now; O;
She 'tis; I vow; O;
Passing the lea。
Rush down to meet her there;
Call out and greet her there;
Never a sweeter there
Crossed to me!
Lalage's come; aye;
Come is she now; O! 。 。 。
Does Heaven allow; O;
A meeting to be?
Yes; she is here now;
Here now; here now;
Nothing to fear now;
Here's Lalage!
BEFORE KNOWLEDGE
When I walked roseless tracks and wide;
Ere dawned your date for meeting me;
O why did you not cry Halloo
Across the stretch between; and say:
〃We move; while years as yet divide;
On closing lines whichthough it be
You know me not nor I know you …
Will intersect and join some day!〃
Then well I had borne
Each scraping thorn;
But the winters froze;
And grew no rose;
No bridge bestrode
The gap at all;
No shape you showed;
And I heard no call!
THE BLINDED BIRD
So zestfully canst thou sing?
And all this indignity;
With God's consent; on thee!
Blinded ere yet a…wing
By the red…hot needle thou;
I stand and wonder how
So zestfully thou canst sing!
Resenting not such wrong;
Thy grievous pain forgot;
Eternal dark thy lot;
Groping thy whole life long;
After that stab of fire;
Enjailed in pitiless wire;
Resenting not such wrong!
Who hath charity? This bird。
Who suffereth long and is kind;
Is not provoked; though blind
And alive ensepulchred?
Who hopeth; endureth all things?
Who thinketh no evil; but sings?
Who is divine? This bird。
〃THE WIND BLEW WORDS〃
The wind blew words along the skies;
And these it blew to me
Through the wide dusk: 〃Lift up your eyes;
Behold this troubled tree;
Complaining as it sways and plies;
It is a limb of thee。
〃Yea; too; the creatures sheltering round …
Dumb figures; wild and tame;
Yea; too; thy fellows who abound …
Either of speech the same
Or far and strangeblack; dwarfed; and browned;
They are stuff of thy own frame。〃
I moved on in a surging awe
Of inarticulateness
At the pathetic Me I saw
In all his huge distress;
Making self…slaughter of the law
To kill; break; or suppress。
THE FADED FACE
How was this I did not see
Such a look as here was shown
Ere its womanhood had blown
Past its first felicity? …
That I did not know you young;
Faded Face;
Know you young!
Why did Time so ill bestead
That I heard no voice of yours
Hail from out the curved contours
Of those lips when rosy red;
Weeted not the songs they sung;
Faded Face;
Songs they sung!
By these blanchings; blooms of old;
And the relics of your voice …
Leavings rare of rich and choice
From your early tone and mould …
Let me mourn;aye; sorrow…wrung;
Faded Face;
Sorrow…wrung!
THE RIDDLE
I
Stretching eyes west
Over the sea;
Wind foul or fair;
Always stood she
Prospect…impressed;
Solely out there
Did her gaze rest;
Never elsewhere
Seemed charm to be。
II
Always eyes east
Ponders she now …
As in devotion …
Hills of blank brow
Where no waves plough。
Never the least
Room for emotion
Drawn from the ocean
Does she allow。
THE DUEL
〃I am here to time; you see;
The glade is well…screenedeh?against alarm;
Fit place to vindicate by my arm
The honour of my spotless wife;
Who scorns your libel upon her life
In boasting intimacy!
〃'All hush…offerings you'll spurn;
My husband。 Two must come; one only go;'
She said。 'That he'll be you I know;
To faith like ours Heaven will be just;
And I shall abide in fullest trust
Your speedy glad return。'〃
〃Good。 Here am also I;
And we'll proceed without more waste of words
To warm your cockpit。 Of the swords
Take you your choice。 I shall thereby
Feel that on me no blame can lie;
Whatever Fate accords。〃
So stripped they there; and fought;
And the swords clicked and scraped; and the onsets sped;
Till the husband fell; and his shirt was red
With streams from his heart's hot cistern。 Nought
Could save him now; and the other; wrought
Maybe to pity; said:
〃Why did you urge on this?
Your wife assured you; and 't had better been
That you had let things pass; serene
In confidence of long…tried bliss;
Holding there could be nought amiss
In what my words might mean。〃
Then; seeing nor ruth nor rage
Could move his foeman morenow Death's deaf thrall …
He wiped his steel; and; with a call
Like turtledove to dove; swift broke
Into the copse; where under an oak
His horse cropt; held by a page。