 | Poems with Fables in Prose |  |
49
THE ROCK OF CLOUD
51
From Youghal, where gulls take harbour,
Youghal, the strand of yews,
We stood away, off Brandon,
Three nights out on the cruise.
Youghal, the strand of yews,
We stood away, off Brandon,
Three nights out on the cruise.
And thick cloud came over the deep
The third day out from land
That none could see his shipmate's face,
Nor the helm in his own hand.
The third day out from land
That none could see his shipmate's face,
Nor the helm in his own hand.
Now bitterer than the mild sea-mist
Hath ship no enemy;
But we heard a chanting through the mist
On the cold face of the sea
That night, and lay upon our oars
Amazed that this should be.
Hath ship no enemy;
But we heard a chanting through the mist
On the cold face of the sea
That night, and lay upon our oars
Amazed that this should be.
Hark! was it a hoarse demon trolled?
Or was it man? But one
We knew had such a sea-rough voice—
The Clockgate-keeper's son.
Or was it man? But one
We knew had such a sea-rough voice—
The Clockgate-keeper's son.
We throng'd up close into the bow,
And hail'd with might and main,
“What hell-spawn or what spirit thou?”
And the hoarse voice came again,
And hail'd with might and main,
“What hell-spawn or what spirit thou?”
And the hoarse voice came again,
52
Rang as of one so evil-starr'd
That he hath done with grief,
A voice of dread, and harsh and hard
As the bell swung from a reef:
That he hath done with grief,
A voice of dread, and harsh and hard
As the bell swung from a reef:
“I am a man—But were I none
Row hither! ye may hear
Yet shall not save, nor bring me home,
Seek ye ten thousand year!”
Row hither! ye may hear
Yet shall not save, nor bring me home,
Seek ye ten thousand year!”
“Keep a stout hope!” “I keep no hope!”
“Man alive . . .” “Spare your speech—”
“We are upon thee!” “Nay, no rope
Over the gap will reach.”
“Man alive . . .” “Spare your speech—”
“We are upon thee!” “Nay, no rope
Over the gap will reach.”
“Who art thou?” “I was helmsman once
On many a ship of mark:
Through many a pitchy night I steered,
But there came a night too dark.
On many a ship of mark:
Through many a pitchy night I steered,
But there came a night too dark.
“In the middle watch we struck—we sank,
I reached this Rock of wings
Whereby from every boulder's flank
The brown sea-ribbon swings.
I reached this Rock of wings
Whereby from every boulder's flank
The brown sea-ribbon swings.
“Here, while the sole eye of the Sun
Did scorch my body bare,
A great Sea-Spirit rose, and shone
In the water thrill'd with hair.
Did scorch my body bare,
A great Sea-Spirit rose, and shone
In the water thrill'd with hair.
53
“She lay back on the green abyss,
Beautiful; her spread arms
Soothed to a poise—a sob—of bliss
Huge thunders and alarms.
Beautiful; her spread arms
Soothed to a poise—a sob—of bliss
Huge thunders and alarms.
“Her breasts as pearl were dull and pure,
Her body's chastened light
Swam like a cloud; her eyes unsure
From the great depths were bright.
Her body's chastened light
Swam like a cloud; her eyes unsure
From the great depths were bright.
“There was no thing of bitterness
In aught that she could say;
She called my soul, as down a coast
The Moon calls, bay beyond bay,
And they rise—back o' the uttermost—
Away, and yet away:—
In aught that she could say;
She called my soul, as down a coast
The Moon calls, bay beyond bay,
And they rise—back o' the uttermost—
Away, and yet away:—
“‘Ichose thee from the sinking crews,
I bore thee up alive;
Now durst thou follow me and choose
Under the world to dive?
I bore thee up alive;
Now durst thou follow me and choose
Under the world to dive?
“‘O here the wreckful heavens do scant
Thy Godship, by some spell!
But there thy heart shall have its want,
And there shall all be well.
Thy Godship, by some spell!
But there thy heart shall have its want,
And there shall all be well.
54
“‘Come! we will catch, when stars are out,
The black wave's spitting crest,
And still, when the Bull of Dawn shall spout,
Be washing on abreast!
The black wave's spitting crest,
And still, when the Bull of Dawn shall spout,
Be washing on abreast!
“‘Swim with me now, and I'll waft thee,
Who hast known no happy hour,
Through coral gulfs, over the lip
Of islands like a flower,
And fresh thee in the drench of youth
Beyond an April's power.
Who hast known no happy hour,
Through coral gulfs, over the lip
Of islands like a flower,
And fresh thee in the drench of youth
Beyond an April's power.
“‘Spring we up sun-lasht waterfalls
Cauldron'd in giant vallies—
To hang high as the rainbow hangs
Or bask among sea-lilies!
Cauldron'd in giant vallies—
To hang high as the rainbow hangs
Or bask among sea-lilies!
“‘My headland temples keen with light,
Such as men know not here,
Shall make thy senses infinite—
Shall let thy heart be clear.
Such as men know not here,
Shall make thy senses infinite—
Shall let thy heart be clear.
“‘Or thee a flame under the seas
Quivering with rays I'll hide,
Deathless and boundless and at ease
In any shape to glide.
Quivering with rays I'll hide,
Deathless and boundless and at ease
In any shape to glide.
“‘All waters that on Earth have well'd
At last to me repair,—
All mountains starr'd with cities melt
Into my dreamy air!
At last to me repair,—
All mountains starr'd with cities melt
Into my dreamy air!
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“‘Shall I all women be to thee—
As thou to me all men?
Thou shalt have all the souls in me
To gaze with. Haste thee then!
As thou to me all men?
Thou shalt have all the souls in me
To gaze with. Haste thee then!
“‘Set on thy peak under the brink
I'll show thee storms above,
The sands of kingdoms;—they shall sink
While thou dost teach me love;
On beaches white as the young moons
I'll sit and fathom love!’”
I'll show thee storms above,
The sands of kingdoms;—they shall sink
While thou dost teach me love;
On beaches white as the young moons
I'll sit and fathom love!’”
And we cried, “By God, 'twas hard for thee
At that song not to go
And let thy heart take heed no more
When the Spirit called thee so!”
At that song not to go
And let thy heart take heed no more
When the Spirit called thee so!”
“Ah! 'twas not any word she sang,
But what she did not say,
Suck'd griefs out of the colour'd world,
And time out of the day.”
But what she did not say,
Suck'd griefs out of the colour'd world,
And time out of the day.”
“What saidst thou then?” “From over sea
I felt a sighing burn
That made this wrathy rock to me
More delicate than fern;
I felt a sighing burn
That made this wrathy rock to me
More delicate than fern;
“And when like moth-wings I could hear
Them heave, that stand in line
By the mud-banks of Blackwater,
The many-voicèd pine,
Them heave, that stand in line
By the mud-banks of Blackwater,
The many-voicèd pine,
56
“Great laughter seized me naked here,
That I clung against the ground,
Shaking in utter folly, while
Myself was like a wound.
That I clung against the ground,
Shaking in utter folly, while
Myself was like a wound.
“And I cried out sore, sore at the heart
For her that sleeps at home,
‘Brightness, I will not know thine art,
Nor to thy country come!’
For her that sleeps at home,
‘Brightness, I will not know thine art,
Nor to thy country come!’
“Straightway she sank—smiling so pale:—
But from the seethe up-broke—
Never thrashed off by gust or gale—
White, everlasting smoke.
But from the seethe up-broke—
Never thrashed off by gust or gale—
White, everlasting smoke.
“By stealth it feels all over me
With numbness that appals;
It laps my fierce heart endlessly
In soft and rolling walls;
With numbness that appals;
It laps my fierce heart endlessly
In soft and rolling walls;
“A mist no life may pierce, save these
Wave-wing'd, with puling voice;
Stars I discern not, nor the seas—”
“O, dost not rue thy choice?”
Wave-wing'd, with puling voice;
Stars I discern not, nor the seas—”
“O, dost not rue thy choice?”
“Rue it? Now tell me, what ye are?—
For I doubt if ye be men.”
And to us from the cloud-breathing deep
No answer came again.
For I doubt if ye be men.”
And to us from the cloud-breathing deep
No answer came again.
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We knew the voice! We called his name!
We pulled on, weeping loud,
All night in earshot of the rock,
But never through the cloud.
We pulled on, weeping loud,
All night in earshot of the rock,
But never through the cloud.
And the gulls across from Brandon,
Ere we had done the cruise,
To the wall'd town of my mother's folk,
Youghal, the strand of yews,
And the women waiting on the quay,
They carried back the news.
Ere we had done the cruise,
To the wall'd town of my mother's folk,
Youghal, the strand of yews,
And the women waiting on the quay,
They carried back the news.
| Poems with Fables in Prose | |