The Poetical Works of John Payne Definitive Edition in Two Volumes |
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 | The Poetical Works of John Payne |  |
387
II.
Thus did it chance, one middle Summer's day,
The twin Gods met
Within a valley, set
Twixt two great ridges of the Westward hills;
And through the gorge there lay,
Midmost the woods thick-sown upon the side
Of the sloped cliffs, two wide,
Fair-seeming rills,
Whereof the one was clear
And bright and swift and glad
And without haste or fear,
Fled singing o'er its sands,
Between thick-woven bands
Of many-coloured flowers
Of all sweet sorts that come with summer hours.
So clear a soul it had
That one could see fair fish therein at play,
Golden and emerald and ruby-red
And topaz and clear blue
And many another hue
Of glad and glancing scales; and all its way
Was busy with bright things and gay and rife
With winged and footed life,
That glittered as it sped.
The twin Gods met
Within a valley, set
Twixt two great ridges of the Westward hills;
And through the gorge there lay,
Midmost the woods thick-sown upon the side
Of the sloped cliffs, two wide,
Fair-seeming rills,
Whereof the one was clear
And bright and swift and glad
And without haste or fear,
Fled singing o'er its sands,
Between thick-woven bands
Of many-coloured flowers
Of all sweet sorts that come with summer hours.
So clear a soul it had
That one could see fair fish therein at play,
Golden and emerald and ruby-red
And topaz and clear blue
And many another hue
Of glad and glancing scales; and all its way
Was busy with bright things and gay and rife
With winged and footed life,
That glittered as it sped.
The other one was sad
And deep and sombre-hued
And none had ever viewed
The bottom of its bed.
Beside it grew no blooms
Nor in its flood was any moving thing,
That unto mind might bring
The memories of life; but all its stream
Was full of strange dim glooms
And sombre mysteries
And all its waves did seem
To murmur of death's shade
And the repose that lies
Behind the folded portals of the night.
Yet not withal was aught
Of enmity between
The neighbouring rills. Despite
Their difference, both sought
The same fair end
And through the jewelled green
Of that calm valley's grass
Did wend
Their sidelong way in careless amity,
Until they joined and fell
Into a clear blue mere
And in its heaven-hued glass
Put off their difference
And thought no shame in that fair lymph to be
Made one in peace.
And deep and sombre-hued
And none had ever viewed
The bottom of its bed.
Beside it grew no blooms
Nor in its flood was any moving thing,
That unto mind might bring
The memories of life; but all its stream
Was full of strange dim glooms
And sombre mysteries
388
To murmur of death's shade
And the repose that lies
Behind the folded portals of the night.
Yet not withal was aught
Of enmity between
The neighbouring rills. Despite
Their difference, both sought
The same fair end
And through the jewelled green
Of that calm valley's grass
Did wend
Their sidelong way in careless amity,
Until they joined and fell
Into a clear blue mere
And in its heaven-hued glass
Put off their difference
And thought no shame in that fair lymph to be
Made one in peace.
| The Poetical Works of John Payne | |