 | Through the Gateway |  |
1
THROUGH THE GATEWAY.
The world was the world of every day,
The light was the sunlight shining,
When I found myself in a field astray
In a summer day's declining.
The light was the sunlight shining,
When I found myself in a field astray
In a summer day's declining.
The air was full of the sound of bees,
And the scent of the summer clover;
The blackbird sang in the darkening trees,
And the lark in the clear heaven over.
And the scent of the summer clover;
The blackbird sang in the darkening trees,
And the lark in the clear heaven over.
Methought I had known that field of old;
But lo, to my eyes' surprising,
A gateway of stone stood stern and lone,
In the middle field uprising.
But lo, to my eyes' surprising,
A gateway of stone stood stern and lone,
In the middle field uprising.
And over the gate were letters, that said:
Non nisi per me via.
And a wonder it seemed where the doorway led,
And the legend seemed a liar.
Non nisi per me via.
And a wonder it seemed where the doorway led,
And the legend seemed a liar.
2
For 'twas but a step by the buttressed pier
To right or to left, and surely
I was there on the other side quite clear,
With the gate still shut securely.
To right or to left, and surely
I was there on the other side quite clear,
With the gate still shut securely.
But something—perhaps the even calm,
Or the sunset's invitation,
Or a summons heard in the blackbird's psalm,
Or an idle inclination—
Or the sunset's invitation,
Or a summons heard in the blackbird's psalm,
Or an idle inclination—
Re-flected my wayward will; I returned
To the written side of the gateway;
The iron ring-handle I raised and turned,
And the strong door opened straightway.
To the written side of the gateway;
The iron ring-handle I raised and turned,
And the strong door opened straightway.
All was olden and all was new;
The same world lay before me,
But angels were filling the flowers with dew,
And lighting the gold stars o'er me.
The same world lay before me,
But angels were filling the flowers with dew,
And lighting the gold stars o'er me.
Nor only my eyes were opened; I knew
As in words what the birds were chiming,
And the very scent of the wild rose meant
More than a poet's rhyming.
As in words what the birds were chiming,
And the very scent of the wild rose meant
More than a poet's rhyming.
3
And all delight was mine, for I felt
What the young leaf feels in bursting,
What the meadow-grass when the long snows melt,
What the flower for the sunlight thirsting.
What the young leaf feels in bursting,
What the meadow-grass when the long snows melt,
What the flower for the sunlight thirsting.
The hope of joy is earth's best joy;
But now I could clasp and clutch it;
The song of the bird no unrest stirred,
And the rainbow let me touch it.
But now I could clasp and clutch it;
The song of the bird no unrest stirred,
And the rainbow let me touch it.
And suddenly, by that inward sense
That leaps past laggard Reason,
And asks not how or why or whence,
I knew that for that season
That leaps past laggard Reason,
And asks not how or why or whence,
I knew that for that season
God's mercy had softened so my heart,
As Pharaoh's He did harden,
That all the earth was every part
For me as Eden garden.
As Pharaoh's He did harden,
That all the earth was every part
For me as Eden garden.
My soul, that had clothed herself about
Since knowledge of shame awakèd
In pride, and every prudish clout,
Stood unashamed and naked.
Since knowledge of shame awakèd
In pride, and every prudish clout,
Stood unashamed and naked.
4
And never a sin nor a thought of sin
Was on my soul remaining,
Nor fear of a fettered lust within,
Nor memory of complaining.
Was on my soul remaining,
Nor fear of a fettered lust within,
Nor memory of complaining.
Round me the living creatures were;
No greater I than others,
Beast of the field or bird of the air;
Yea, the flower and I were brothers.
No greater I than others,
Beast of the field or bird of the air;
Yea, the flower and I were brothers.
The pride of Man was purged from me,
The Self from my eyes had vanished;
I saw the world from the Man-God free
Who the Maker-God has banished.
The Self from my eyes had vanished;
I saw the world from the Man-God free
Who the Maker-God has banished.
I bowed my head, for I heard a tread
That made the ground seem holy;
It was the Lord God walking there,
And I worshipped, mute and lowly.
That made the ground seem holy;
It was the Lord God walking there,
And I worshipped, mute and lowly.
The flowers knew Him, and all the birds
And all the beasts before me;
And a thought too swift for the wings of words,
Too sweet for the tongue, came o'er me:
And all the beasts before me;
And a thought too swift for the wings of words,
Too sweet for the tongue, came o'er me:
5
That footfall, yes, I have heard it oft,
That voice in my ears has sounded;
And I knew it not, nor why the soft
Young flowers stood all astounded.
That voice in my ears has sounded;
And I knew it not, nor why the soft
Young flowers stood all astounded.
And as I bowed by the bending flowers,
Methought there came a calling,
Melodious as the hushing showers
Through leaves in woodlands falling.
Methought there came a calling,
Melodious as the hushing showers
Through leaves in woodlands falling.
Was it a sound in the air, or a voice
In mine ears only ringing?
I know not: I knew on a sudden I grew
Blind to the blackbird's singing.
In mine ears only ringing?
I know not: I knew on a sudden I grew
Blind to the blackbird's singing.
‘Earth is the Lord's. 'Tis ancient sooth.
The whole creation crieth
Morning and night the master truth,
That only one denieth.
The whole creation crieth
Morning and night the master truth,
That only one denieth.
‘For nothing is blind of living kind
Save Man of the dull clay kneaden,
Who has driven God from His own good world
As God drave him from Eden.
Save Man of the dull clay kneaden,
Who has driven God from His own good world
As God drave him from Eden.
6
‘And in fear and pride he has magnified
A God of his own devising,
The Law of Man and the Love of Man
As Deity idolizing.
A God of his own devising,
The Law of Man and the Love of Man
As Deity idolizing.
‘No more he maketh him gods of stone,
The likeness of man or woman;
But of dreams and phrases he shapeth one
As helpless and as human.
The likeness of man or woman;
But of dreams and phrases he shapeth one
As helpless and as human.
‘Therefore, because his eyes are filled
With the human deification,
And himself he deems the crown, and his dreams
The hope, of all creation;
With the human deification,
And himself he deems the crown, and his dreams
The hope, of all creation;
‘No more he watcheth as men of old,
Clear-eyed and humble-hearted,
For the sudden rapture, the gleam of gold,
The glory not departed,
Clear-eyed and humble-hearted,
For the sudden rapture, the gleam of gold,
The glory not departed,
‘Sound in the forest, light on the sea,
The ever-vanishing vision,
The mirror-kiss of a world not this
On the water-face of division.
The ever-vanishing vision,
The mirror-kiss of a world not this
On the water-face of division.
7
‘But he houses himself in a hostel of pride,
Of self-love he makes his clothing;
Man only matters; the world beside
Of life and beauty is nothing.
Of self-love he makes his clothing;
Man only matters; the world beside
Of life and beauty is nothing.
‘Nothing the morning glory of trees,
Or hills in sunlight sleeping,
Or the rose-leaf pilot on purple seas,
Or lace-white torrents leaping.
Or hills in sunlight sleeping,
Or the rose-leaf pilot on purple seas,
Or lace-white torrents leaping.
‘The rainbow itself, if he see it not,
For all its wonder is wasted,
And the flowers unmeet for his garden-plot,
And the fruits he hath not tasted.
For all its wonder is wasted,
And the flowers unmeet for his garden-plot,
And the fruits he hath not tasted.
‘And the striped veldt-rangers and forest things,
They are bright in vain if he spare them,
And the jewel-fly, and the gem-bird's wings,
Unless he slay them and wear them.
They are bright in vain if he spare them,
And the jewel-fly, and the gem-bird's wings,
Unless he slay them and wear them.
‘How should he see what the flowers see
That lift clear eyes to heaven?
How should he heed if God indeed
Walk in the wind of even?
That lift clear eyes to heaven?
How should he heed if God indeed
Walk in the wind of even?
‘Though flowers are a carpet for unseen feet,
Birds sing an unknown psalter,
Though every wood is a temple good.
And every hill an altar;
Birds sing an unknown psalter,
Though every wood is a temple good.
And every hill an altar;
8
‘Man only goeth a godless way
In his dark and smoky babels,
Or builds him prisons wherein to pray,
And serves not God but tables.’
In his dark and smoky babels,
Or builds him prisons wherein to pray,
And serves not God but tables.’
The sudden silence fell like snow;
And I thought, with a heart nigh breaking,
I only am left, I only!—and lo,
Again I heard Him speaking:
And I thought, with a heart nigh breaking,
I only am left, I only!—and lo,
Again I heard Him speaking:
‘Yet have I left me lonely ones,
Wherever the green herb springeth,
Who look to God as the flower from the sod,
And serve as the bird that singeth.’
Wherever the green herb springeth,
Who look to God as the flower from the sod,
And serve as the bird that singeth.’
O humble hearts! O wistful eyes!
O souls in prison sighing!
Who find the wisdom of man unwise,
And his sooth unsatisfying!
O souls in prison sighing!
Who find the wisdom of man unwise,
And his sooth unsatisfying!
For you I have written; no laboured scheme
Of life and dust and duty;
But the master dream of a life of dream,
And the faith of a flower's beauty.
Of life and dust and duty;
But the master dream of a life of dream,
And the faith of a flower's beauty.
| Through the Gateway | |