 | The Burden of the Bell and Other Lyrics |  |
124
LENORA.
She hath left me cold, ice-cold,
Grew the fervent love of old;—
I waxed weary,—truth be told!
Grew the fervent love of old;—
I waxed weary,—truth be told!
Weary of her love's excess,
Of her heart's wild restlessness,
And her proud caprice, no less.
Of her heart's wild restlessness,
And her proud caprice, no less.
Fairest woman ne'er can be,
By her fairness, more to me
Than a moment's phantasy.
By her fairness, more to me
Than a moment's phantasy.
So, I mind me, one day lying
At her feet, my sole replying
To her love's impatient sighing,
At her feet, my sole replying
To her love's impatient sighing,
And her questionings of all
That might haply yet befall,
Change and wrong and evil thrall.
That might haply yet befall,
Change and wrong and evil thrall.
125
Was—“Bend low, Lenora, low..
Shower thy dark hair o'er my brow—
In that midnight, hear me vow.
Shower thy dark hair o'er my brow—
In that midnight, hear me vow.
I do love thee—ask no more—
For the future's stock and store
Give I thee no pledge, Lenore.
For the future's stock and store
Give I thee no pledge, Lenore.
No pledge—change may well befall
Unto us as unto all,
Ay and wrong and evil thrall.”
Unto us as unto all,
Ay and wrong and evil thrall.”
Back she swept her hair's dark wreath,
Passionate—I saw beneath,
All her face was white as death.
Passionate—I saw beneath,
All her face was white as death.
I could read that agony,
Beauty's strong supremacy
Smitten in its place on high,
Beauty's strong supremacy
Smitten in its place on high,
At the moment when it fain
Would be soothed with promise vain
Of a never-ending reign.
Would be soothed with promise vain
Of a never-ending reign.
126
Do I scorn this human love?
Scorn!—I kneel before it—Dove,
That o'er life's wild sea dost move
Scorn!—I kneel before it—Dove,
That o'er life's wild sea dost move
With strange healing on thy wings,—
Angel thou, whose minist'rings
Glorify earth's saddest things.
Angel thou, whose minist'rings
Glorify earth's saddest things.
Holy angel, sent to prove
God's high meanings, wrought above—
God be praised for thee, O Love!
God's high meanings, wrought above—
God be praised for thee, O Love!
But mere passion, beauty—psha!
These I take for what they are,
For a fallen and falling star.
These I take for what they are,
For a fallen and falling star.
So she left me, yesterday,
Grandly, like a queen, whose sway
Brooks not mention of decay.
Grandly, like a queen, whose sway
Brooks not mention of decay.
And I sit alone, and stare,
With half-pleased, half-puzzled air,
At—sole trace, her empty chair.—
With half-pleased, half-puzzled air,
At—sole trace, her empty chair.—
127
Pleased! and yet if you had seen
All her beauty in its sheen,
As she turned, with stately mien,
All her beauty in its sheen,
As she turned, with stately mien,
To say farewell;—the great eyes,
Shrines for world-idolatries,
Flashing, like a broad sunrise,
Shrines for world-idolatries,
Flashing, like a broad sunrise,
Full upon me, and the fair
Cheek—the rose-flush glowing there
In the radiance, ripe and rare,
Cheek—the rose-flush glowing there
In the radiance, ripe and rare,
Of a smile, whose syren light
Haunts e'en yet my dreaming sight—
All good angels guide her right!
Haunts e'en yet my dreaming sight—
All good angels guide her right!
| The Burden of the Bell and Other Lyrics | |