 | The Poetical Works of Aubrey De Vere |  |
THE SOLITARY.
1.
A sad Thought came there to my breast,
And said, ‘I walk the world unblest;
I pray thee, let me be thy guest.
And said, ‘I walk the world unblest;
I pray thee, let me be thy guest.
124
‘Each heart is full of its own care;
To me no space it deigns to spare;
A generous grief not one will bear.
To me no space it deigns to spare;
A generous grief not one will bear.
‘The orb of earth like night I roam:
But never found I yet a home;
Therefore at last to thee I come.’
But never found I yet a home;
Therefore at last to thee I come.’
2.
I let him in—for youth is kind;
Nor dare I call its prompture blind;
Though bitter fruits remain behind.
Nor dare I call its prompture blind;
Though bitter fruits remain behind.
He stayed a day with me; and then
I could not let him go again;
I said, ‘Abide a week or twain.’
I could not let him go again;
I said, ‘Abide a week or twain.’
All day he sang; all night he kept
His vigil near me as I slept;
Thus on into my heart he crept.
His vigil near me as I slept;
Thus on into my heart he crept.
3.
He said, ‘If thou my lore wilt know,
And bear my heavenly pain below,
Then thou shalt taste no baser woe.
And bear my heavenly pain below,
Then thou shalt taste no baser woe.
‘And, careless of thy proper weal,
Thou for thy suffering race shalt feel
Deep pity and eternal zeal.
Thou for thy suffering race shalt feel
Deep pity and eternal zeal.
‘And, dwelling in thy place alone,
Thou shalt look down, thyself unknown,
Upon all knowledge round thee strown.’
Thou shalt look down, thyself unknown,
Upon all knowledge round thee strown.’
125
4.
O Lady! turn those eyes away;
For when their beams upon me play,
The whole wide world grows blank and gray.
For when their beams upon me play,
The whole wide world grows blank and gray.
Disturb not thou a lonely fate;
A milder beauty is my mate,
And I to her am dedicate.
A milder beauty is my mate,
And I to her am dedicate.
Pass onward, beautiful as morn!
Pass on, and shine on hearts forlorn;
Pass on from me—but not in scorn.
Pass on, and shine on hearts forlorn;
Pass on from me—but not in scorn.
5.
In thee collecting all her gleams,
As from a centre Beauty beams;
I catch that light on leaves and streams.
As from a centre Beauty beams;
I catch that light on leaves and streams.
In waving boughs and winding shells,
The grace of all thy movement dwells:
From all the birds thy music wells.
The grace of all thy movement dwells:
From all the birds thy music wells.
In thought familiar thus with thee,
Thine outward form I will not see;
It jars upon my reverie.
Thine outward form I will not see;
It jars upon my reverie.
6.
Nay, oft from lifeless shapes around
My dazzled eyeballs seek the ground,
And my heart beats with awe profound.
My dazzled eyeballs seek the ground,
And my heart beats with awe profound.
I sit upon the dull gray shore,
And hear the infinite waters roar.
One mournful sound for evermore.
And hear the infinite waters roar.
One mournful sound for evermore.
126
I lean upon a rock my breast;
I love its coldness, heart oppressed;
I love its hardness, and its rest.
I love its coldness, heart oppressed;
I love its hardness, and its rest.
| The Poetical Works of Aubrey De Vere | |