 | The Burden of the Bell and Other Lyrics |  |
153
SHADE AND SUNSHINE.
“Not in this tapestried chamber, good my brother;
Let us go forth, in the sunshine. Truth will show us
Her full face in the light.”
—Anon.
Let us go forth, in the sunshine. Truth will show us
Her full face in the light.”
—Anon.
Love sat brooding in the dark,
Gloomy thoughts stole o'er him;
All life's shows looked grim and stark
In the path before him.
And “ah yes, it waneth, it waneth!”
Poor Love, 'mid his sighs complaineth,
“There's a change—I can see it growing
In those eyes no longer flowing
With the light of the soul for me.
There's a change in the lips' calm smiling.
Those lips of old beguiling
Each pang of the world's reviling,
With their meanings fair to see.”
Gloomy thoughts stole o'er him;
All life's shows looked grim and stark
In the path before him.
And “ah yes, it waneth, it waneth!”
Poor Love, 'mid his sighs complaineth,
“There's a change—I can see it growing
In those eyes no longer flowing
With the light of the soul for me.
There's a change in the lips' calm smiling.
Those lips of old beguiling
Each pang of the world's reviling,
With their meanings fair to see.”
And still, while Love, unweary,
Poured all his plaints on air,
Through the shadows, dusk and dreary,
A sweet voice sought him there.
It stole to his ear unheeding,
Through the depths of the twilight grove,
With words of gentlest pleading,
And a cry “I love—I love!”
Poured all his plaints on air,
Through the shadows, dusk and dreary,
A sweet voice sought him there.
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Through the depths of the twilight grove,
With words of gentlest pleading,
And a cry “I love—I love!”
In vain!—Love still bewaileth
“That bitter change prevaileth!
I see it darkly, darkly, in each separate glance and motion,
And fading, withering slowly,
The joys of life sink lowly,
Borne earthward with a shattered faith, and a crushed
heart's devotion.
“That bitter change prevaileth!
I see it darkly, darkly, in each separate glance and motion,
And fading, withering slowly,
The joys of life sink lowly,
Borne earthward with a shattered faith, and a crushed
heart's devotion.
Oh false and feeble-hearted!
Oh light leaf on the wind!
Poor dream of days departed,
In bitter memories shrined!
Poor dream, that shed a golden ray,
Of gladness round and o'er me
A moment's space—now fled for aye,
Lo, night and storm before me!
But vain these tears, these sighs profound,
Vain this half-uttered story;
Away!—methinks a mocking sound
Rings through the forest hoary!”
Love stept from out that shaded ground
Into the sunshine's glory.
Oh light leaf on the wind!
Poor dream of days departed,
In bitter memories shrined!
Poor dream, that shed a golden ray,
Of gladness round and o'er me
A moment's space—now fled for aye,
Lo, night and storm before me!
But vain these tears, these sighs profound,
Vain this half-uttered story;
Away!—methinks a mocking sound
Rings through the forest hoary!”
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Into the sunshine's glory.
Love stept from out that covert dark,
The blue heaven glittered o'er him;
Less grim he thought life's shows and stark
Along the path before him.
And as a lurid mist awhile
O'er all doth darkly hover,
Then melt beneath the morning's smile
And the green earth discover,
So that great cloud of doubts and fears,
Lit by the truth, waxed lighter,
And like unto the golden noon,
His soul grew bright and brighter;
Till Hope, that long had breathless lain,
Spent by his vain endeavour,
Sprang up within his soul again
More bold and strong than ever.
The blue heaven glittered o'er him;
Less grim he thought life's shows and stark
Along the path before him.
And as a lurid mist awhile
O'er all doth darkly hover,
Then melt beneath the morning's smile
And the green earth discover,
So that great cloud of doubts and fears,
Lit by the truth, waxed lighter,
And like unto the golden noon,
His soul grew bright and brighter;
Till Hope, that long had breathless lain,
Spent by his vain endeavour,
Sprang up within his soul again
More bold and strong than ever.
And “Ah, yes, she loveth—she loveth!”
Quoth Love—“each doubt removeth;
'Twas a dream and a wanton folly
Of the sick fiend, Melancholy,
And life still hath its joys for me!”
Then Love looked back at the shaded track
And he sighed regretfully.
And lo! as he mused unweary,
On that new thought and fair,
From the shadows, dusk and dreary,
A sweet voice sought him there;
It stole to his ear, close-heeding,
From the depths of the twilight grove,
With words of gentlest pleading
And a cry “I love—I love!”
Quoth Love—“each doubt removeth;
'Twas a dream and a wanton folly
Of the sick fiend, Melancholy,
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Then Love looked back at the shaded track
And he sighed regretfully.
And lo! as he mused unweary,
On that new thought and fair,
From the shadows, dusk and dreary,
A sweet voice sought him there;
It stole to his ear, close-heeding,
From the depths of the twilight grove,
With words of gentlest pleading
And a cry “I love—I love!”
| The Burden of the Bell and Other Lyrics | |