 | The Marriage Before Death, And Other Poems |  |
124
TO THEE, LOVE.
For this our happy day, love,
What tribute shall I bring,
What word of pleasure say, love,
What wreath upon thee fling?
What song without delay, love,
Shall I, thy poet, sing.
What tribute shall I bring,
What word of pleasure say, love,
What wreath upon thee fling?
What song without delay, love,
Shall I, thy poet, sing.
Oh, shall it be a rose, love,
With petals bright and red,
Through which my passion glows, love,
In which my heart has bled,
A perfect flower which shows, love,
What passion would have said?
With petals bright and red,
Through which my passion glows, love,
In which my heart has bled,
A perfect flower which shows, love,
What passion would have said?
Or lily sweet and white, love,
And pure as is thine heart?
A perfume, a delight, love,
To leave when we must part,
Though only for a night, love,
(But one night brings its smart!)
And pure as is thine heart?
A perfume, a delight, love,
To leave when we must part,
Though only for a night, love,
(But one night brings its smart!)
125
Or violet blue and tender
As all thy thoughts of me—
A subtle blossom-splendour
In which the soul may see
What Love's own God may render
In some futurity!
As all thy thoughts of me—
A subtle blossom-splendour
In which the soul may see
What Love's own God may render
In some futurity!
Say what is it to be, love,—
O blossom of my soul,
What blossom can I see, love,
What flower so perfect, whole—
I choose and gather, thee, love,
The flower whose heart I stole.
O blossom of my soul,
What blossom can I see, love,
What flower so perfect, whole—
I choose and gather, thee, love,
The flower whose heart I stole.
I send thee thine own heart, love,
A blossom rendered back,
Made perfect by mine art, love,
With scent that it did lack,
When passion was apart, love,
And joy not on the track.
A blossom rendered back,
Made perfect by mine art, love,
With scent that it did lack,
When passion was apart, love,
And joy not on the track.
This flower I choose and send, love—
Oh, dream of it to-night—
Dream of me, without end, love,
And when the sleeping sight
New vision doth extend, love,
Come to me, my delight!
Oh, dream of it to-night—
Dream of me, without end, love,
And when the sleeping sight
New vision doth extend, love,
Come to me, my delight!
126
Come to me; seek and find me;
We are apart by day:
The suns of daytime blind me
With piercing loveless ray;
Thou art my moon assigned me—
Oh, gleam upon my way!
We are apart by day:
The suns of daytime blind me
With piercing loveless ray;
Thou art my moon assigned me—
Oh, gleam upon my way!
Thou art my star of even,
To light my lonely track—
My star in bluest heaven,
To guide to God's throne back,
To lift and to enliven,
To guard from foes' attack.
To light my lonely track—
My star in bluest heaven,
To guide to God's throne back,
To lift and to enliven,
To guard from foes' attack.
Thou art my own white beauty—
Thou comest in the night,
Treading love's flowers for booty
Beneath thy footing light,
Giving me dreams of duty,
Nerving my soul with might.
Thou comest in the night,
Treading love's flowers for booty
Beneath thy footing light,
Giving me dreams of duty,
Nerving my soul with might.
Thou art my blossom white, love,
Whose beauty undefiled
By the sweet wholesome sight, love,
Has made me as a child,
With eyes and forehead bright, love,
No more with misery wild.
Whose beauty undefiled
By the sweet wholesome sight, love,
Has made me as a child,
With eyes and forehead bright, love,
No more with misery wild.
127
Thou art my blossom red, love—
My rose of pure perfume,
Lifting a gracious head, love,
Above the abolished tomb;
The strength thy petals shed, love,
Death's kingdom shall consume.
My rose of pure perfume,
Lifting a gracious head, love,
Above the abolished tomb;
The strength thy petals shed, love,
Death's kingdom shall consume.
Thou bringest unto me, love,
The glory of the air
Of summer—and the sea, love,
Within thine eyes is fair—
And black night owes to thee, love,
The blackness of her hair.
The glory of the air
Of summer—and the sea, love,
Within thine eyes is fair—
And black night owes to thee, love,
The blackness of her hair.
All glory I can find, love,
Within thy white sweet soul,
All pleasures of the mind, love,
All love-joy—even the whole.
To ecstacy resigned, love,
I touch love's utmost goal.
Within thy white sweet soul,
All pleasures of the mind, love,
All love-joy—even the whole.
To ecstacy resigned, love,
I touch love's utmost goal.
Be ever with me, white love,
At evening and by day—
Be unto me my bright love,
My sweet moon's rising ray—
Endue me with thy might, love—
Come to my heart, and stay.
At evening and by day—
Be unto me my bright love,
My sweet moon's rising ray—
Endue me with thy might, love—
Come to my heart, and stay.
128
Let all thy fulness pour, love,
In passion through my veins;
Be Queen as once of yore, love,
On southern sunstruck plains,
When we heard the lions' roar, love,
And rustle of hot rains.
In passion through my veins;
Be Queen as once of yore, love,
On southern sunstruck plains,
When we heard the lions' roar, love,
And rustle of hot rains.
When ere this life began, love,
We loved and kissed and clung—
A woman and a man, love,
By shafts of passion stung—
When you were sweet and wan, love,
And I was fierce and young.
We loved and kissed and clung—
A woman and a man, love,
By shafts of passion stung—
When you were sweet and wan, love,
And I was fierce and young.
When you were like a flower, love,
And I was like the sky,
Or like a perfumed bower, love—
Fragrant when thou wert nigh,
When passion in its power, love,
Swept on us from on high.
And I was like the sky,
Or like a perfumed bower, love—
Fragrant when thou wert nigh,
When passion in its power, love,
Swept on us from on high.
When we in valleys green, love,
Kissed, and our lips were full
Of ecstacy serene, love,
And all the airs were cool;—
Such passion ours hath been, love,
Such passion-grapes to pull.
Kissed, and our lips were full
Of ecstacy serene, love,
And all the airs were cool;—
Such passion ours hath been, love,
Such passion-grapes to pull.
129
By all the sweet old days, love,
Hear thou my song to-night;
By passion's burning rays, love,
And the old moon's subtle light—
By love's heaven-kindled blaze, love,
Yea, by thy breast most white.
Hear thou my song to-night;
By passion's burning rays, love,
And the old moon's subtle light—
By love's heaven-kindled blaze, love,
Yea, by thy breast most white.
By all these wondrous things, love,
I pray thee that thou hear
The passion-song which sings, love,
Itself within thine ear
To-night—the chant which brings, love,
Thy lover's strong heart near.
I pray thee that thou hear
The passion-song which sings, love,
Itself within thine ear
To-night—the chant which brings, love,
Thy lover's strong heart near.
Were but my heart a rose, love,
That rose I would bestow
Just as it burns and glows, love,
Upon thee; but I know
Not where the flowers repose, love—
My flowerless heart I throw.
That rose I would bestow
Just as it burns and glows, love,
Upon thee; but I know
Not where the flowers repose, love—
My flowerless heart I throw.
A flower beside thy feet, love,
A flower for thee to wear
Perhaps not all unsweet, love,
A red rose in thine hair:
Strong passion's bloom is meet, love,
For nights of summer air.
A flower for thee to wear
Perhaps not all unsweet, love,
A red rose in thine hair:
Strong passion's bloom is meet, love,
For nights of summer air.
130
The smaller flowers would fade, love,
At summer's burning kiss—
My heart is not afraid, love—
I fearless, give thee this.
A flower reared in no shade, love,
But under noontide bliss.
At summer's burning kiss—
My heart is not afraid, love—
I fearless, give thee this.
A flower reared in no shade, love,
But under noontide bliss.
And grant me in return, love,
The flower for which I long,
The bloom for which I burn, love,
With passion pure and strong—
The heart for which I yearn, love,
Which blossoms in my song.
The flower for which I long,
The bloom for which I burn, love,
With passion pure and strong—
The heart for which I yearn, love,
Which blossoms in my song.
Then roses white and red, love,
Through far eternal years,
Shall flame about the head, love,
Which Love immortal rears—
And, joined in one when dead, love,
We shall surmount life's fears.
Through far eternal years,
Shall flame about the head, love,
Which Love immortal rears—
And, joined in one when dead, love,
We shall surmount life's fears.
Therefore, my own, own, own love,
Oh list to me to-night,
Hear my harp's burning tone, love,
Interpret it aright—
Black sorrow's wings have flown, love,
In front the sky is bright.
Oh list to me to-night,
Hear my harp's burning tone, love,
Interpret it aright—
Black sorrow's wings have flown, love,
In front the sky is bright.
131
Come; through the mist of stars, love,
Swift seek me; I am here.
Burst all the lingering bars, love,
With eyes as God's heaven clear
Smite all that chills or mars love—
Soft, summer-sweet, appear!
Swift seek me; I am here.
Burst all the lingering bars, love,
With eyes as God's heaven clear
Smite all that chills or mars love—
Soft, summer-sweet, appear!
| The Marriage Before Death, And Other Poems | |