 | Benoni |  |
208
RUS IN URBE.
Cool, shadow'd water-deeps,
Where by the glassy sweeps
Flowers in fragrant heaps
Cluster and hive:
Where by the glassy sweeps
Flowers in fragrant heaps
Cluster and hive:
Where, like a glancing shark,
Thro' the rich lucid dark
Oft doth some sunny spark
Shudder and dive:
Thro' the rich lucid dark
Oft doth some sunny spark
Shudder and dive:
And the thick-braided coil
Of fretful hues that boil
In the red west, and foil
Thy searching gaze:
Of fretful hues that boil
In the red west, and foil
Thy searching gaze:
And the black war of storms—
Grandeurs and flashing forms,
Born when the quick cloud warms
Into a blaze:
Grandeurs and flashing forms,
Born when the quick cloud warms
Into a blaze:
209
And the keen-edged moons
Sprinkling their starry boons
Over the dark lagoons,
Over the trees:
Sprinkling their starry boons
Over the dark lagoons,
Over the trees:
And the still silence, fraught
Only with peace, where nought
Comes 'twixt the soul and thought:—
Lovest thou these?
Only with peace, where nought
Comes 'twixt the soul and thought:—
Lovest thou these?
Lovest thou these, O man
Who since thy days began
Ever wast used to scan
Nature apart;—
Who since thy days began
Ever wast used to scan
Nature apart;—
Whom in the very core
Of her ripe joys she bore,
And hath for evermore
Nourish'd thy heart?
Of her ripe joys she bore,
And hath for evermore
Nourish'd thy heart?
Yea, if thou givest heed
Duly her face to read,
Then is its light indeed
Dotingly dear;
Duly her face to read,
Then is its light indeed
Dotingly dear;
210
But thou art haply cloy'd
With the sweets long enjoy'd,—
Careless hast grown and void,
Callous and sere.
With the sweets long enjoy'd,—
Careless hast grown and void,
Callous and sere.
Lovest thou these, O heart
Which in the stirring mart,
Circled with things of art,
Dwellest from birth?
Which in the stirring mart,
Circled with things of art,
Dwellest from birth?
Yea, thou mayst sigh and think
How it were bliss to drink
With thy scorch'd eyes a blink
Of the cool earth;
How it were bliss to drink
With thy scorch'd eyes a blink
Of the cool earth;
But with no lagging beat
Ever thy busy feet
Press the hot whirling street—
This is thy home.
Ever thy busy feet
Press the hot whirling street—
This is thy home.
Thou, then, by some strong law
Plunged in the city's maw,
Whom from thy woods I saw
Mourning to come;
Plunged in the city's maw,
Whom from thy woods I saw
Mourning to come;
211
Lovest thou these? The strange
World of thine alter'd range,
Leaves it without a change
Nature beneath?
World of thine alter'd range,
Leaves it without a change
Nature beneath?
Yea—the old love doth flood
Ever thy vivid blood,—
Purer than maidenhood,
Stronger than death!
Ever thy vivid blood,—
Purer than maidenhood,
Stronger than death!
| Benoni | |