 | A Book of Dreams |  |
89
AWAKE.
Rise up, rise up, O dreamer!
The eastern sky is red;
The trumpet's note is calling,
The storm is overhead.
The eastern sky is red;
The trumpet's note is calling,
The storm is overhead.
Out of the myrtle mazes
Rise up and come away,
And leave thy charmèd slumbers
At breaking of the day.
Rise up and come away,
And leave thy charmèd slumbers
At breaking of the day.
Come down, come down, O dreamer!
From thy aerial height,
Thy solitary strongholds
And mountains of delight.
From thy aerial height,
Thy solitary strongholds
And mountains of delight.
90
Down in the trodden highway
Goes to and fro the crowd;
About the market-places
The tumult waxes loud.
Goes to and fro the crowd;
About the market-places
The tumult waxes loud.
The gates of sleep slide open,
And past them lies a strand
That seems like one remembered,
The last of English land.
And past them lies a strand
That seems like one remembered,
The last of English land.
Where bent before our coming,
And smoothed beneath our tread,
The gold of gorse, the waxen heath,
The wild bog-myrtle bed;
And smoothed beneath our tread,
The gold of gorse, the waxen heath,
The wild bog-myrtle bed;
Bowed crisp and close and even
As for a dancing floor,
With fresh crushed odours speeding
The fleet feet evermore.
As for a dancing floor,
With fresh crushed odours speeding
The fleet feet evermore.
But in the world of waking
Whoso the straight path goes
Will find it steep and narrow,
With iron gates that close.
Whoso the straight path goes
Will find it steep and narrow,
With iron gates that close.
91
And there the feet pass bleeding,
O'er flint and thorn and brier,
And burning desert phantoms
But mock the parched desire.
O'er flint and thorn and brier,
And burning desert phantoms
But mock the parched desire.
And every breath is battle,
And every step a fall;
And less than loss of all things
Shall win no way at all.
And every step a fall;
And less than loss of all things
Shall win no way at all.
And all around are pressing,
Darkness behind, before,
Souls low and heavy-laden,
In struggle sad and sore.
Darkness behind, before,
Souls low and heavy-laden,
In struggle sad and sore.
These are thine own, thy nearest,
For this brief human space;—
Break not thy bonds before-time,
Nor spurn the earth-bound place.
For this brief human space;—
Break not thy bonds before-time,
Nor spurn the earth-bound place.
And if awhile thy dreaming
Did seem to bear thee far,
Rejoice it was but seeming,
While here thy brethren are.
Did seem to bear thee far,
Rejoice it was but seeming,
While here thy brethren are.
92
And henceforth unescaping
The station of the Cross,
Renounce the lonely favour,
And take the lowly loss.
The station of the Cross,
Renounce the lonely favour,
And take the lowly loss.
O gift unearned, unsought for!
O wafted ghostly grace!
Dost thou not mistlike sever
My heart from its own race?
O wafted ghostly grace!
Dost thou not mistlike sever
My heart from its own race?
O magical pale banquet,
No common bread and wine,
Which all may share together
Where simple households dine.
No common bread and wine,
Which all may share together
Where simple households dine.
O thin enchanted armour,
O moonbeam-woven mail,
No more! Let human sorrow
Strike me without thy veil!
O moonbeam-woven mail,
No more! Let human sorrow
Strike me without thy veil!
O Gardener of that garden,
Take back thy golden key!
Where others may not enter,
I pass no more with thee.
Take back thy golden key!
Where others may not enter,
I pass no more with thee.
93
O robe star-strewn, embroidered,
O royal purple pall!
I loose you from my shoulders
Till my last sleep shall fall.
O royal purple pall!
I loose you from my shoulders
Till my last sleep shall fall.
For over-sweet is slumber
So near the dawn of day;—
Could ye not watch with me one hour?
The signals seem to say.
So near the dawn of day;—
Could ye not watch with me one hour?
The signals seem to say.
O Christ whose hour of coming
The stars of morning keep,
Let me be found to meet Thee,
Waking and not asleep!
The stars of morning keep,
Let me be found to meet Thee,
Waking and not asleep!
| A Book of Dreams | |