 | Lyrical Poems |  |
101
THE OLD YEAR
Into the dismal abysses
Where outworn centuries lie
Pass not, old Year, old Friend;
Pass not, we pray thee, and die.
Where outworn centuries lie
Pass not, old Year, old Friend;
Pass not, we pray thee, and die.
Now thou art bow'd and white-hair'd
We behold thee in truth what thou art;
An arm'd man planted between us
And him of the bitter dart.
We behold thee in truth what thou art;
An arm'd man planted between us
And him of the bitter dart.
—There is gain from desire defeated,
And a gem in the heart of woe:
But to leave the little faces,
To leave the heart's darling, and go;—
And a gem in the heart of woe:
But to leave the little faces,
To leave the heart's darling, and go;—
This is the sorest evil
Of evils under the sky,
That makes us chill at the noontide,
And shudder as night goes by.
Of evils under the sky,
That makes us chill at the noontide,
And shudder as night goes by.
102
—O King, whilst thou hast ruled us
We have murmur'd beneath our lot:
Now we know that under thy sceptre
We were safe, and we knew it not.
We have murmur'd beneath our lot:
Now we know that under thy sceptre
We were safe, and we knew it not.
Minutes of fugitive pleasure,
Pearls in the year's diadem,—
Days of delight, all golden,
They are gone, and we sigh not for them:—
Pearls in the year's diadem,—
Days of delight, all golden,
They are gone, and we sigh not for them:—
But thine heir, the new king, we know not;
Nor whether his shield be of proof
To guard us against the arrows
Of that other who watches aloof,
Nor whether his shield be of proof
To guard us against the arrows
Of that other who watches aloof,
With a smile from his ambush darting
The glance of a patient eye,
In wait to bear us to the darkness
Where Arthur and Alfred lie.
The glance of a patient eye,
In wait to bear us to the darkness
Where Arthur and Alfred lie.
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