 | The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems |  |
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FROST PICTURES.
I.
WINTER came on, and the frost went down
O'er field and forest and flood and town.
O'er field and forest and flood and town.
It found the windows clear at night;
But when morning came, with its golden light,
But when morning came, with its golden light,
They were all like silver, fair to see,
Chased in wonderful imagery.
Chased in wonderful imagery.
‘A New Year's gift to the world!’ said the frost,
Rich lace curtains which nothing cost.’
Rich lace curtains which nothing cost.’
And over the wide world he went his way,
Till he passed a cell where a prisoner lay.
Till he passed a cell where a prisoner lay.
Then he worked the windows thickly and white,
And went freezing, freezing—on through the night.
And went freezing, freezing—on through the night.
The prisoner woke ere morning grey,
And saw that the frost had been that way,
And saw that the frost had been that way,
Then he wrote on the silvery crispy rind
The thought that ever was on his mind:
The thought that ever was on his mind:
‘O cara mî Jesu, nunc libera me!’
(Dear Lord, from this prison pray set me free!)
(Dear Lord, from this prison pray set me free!)
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Then lighted his taper, and all alone
Read in the silence till morning shone.
Read in the silence till morning shone.
The Lord in the Castle sleepless lay;
Long were the hours, and he wished for day,
Long were the hours, and he wished for day,
When all at once on his chamber wall
He saw these letters bright-flickering fall:
He saw these letters bright-flickering fall:
‘O cara mî Jesu, nunc libera me!’
(Dear Lord, from this prison pray set me free!)
(Dear Lord, from this prison pray set me free!)
Borne through the night from the prison cell,
The frost and the taper had carried them well.
The frost and the taper had carried them well.
Upstarted the lord, amazed I ween,
For a stranger sight he had never seen.
For a stranger sight he had never seen.
And sought till he found what the cause might be,
And then set the prisoner fairly free,
And then set the prisoner fairly free,
Who had writ on his window unthinkingly,
‘O cara mî Jesu, nunc libera me!’
‘O cara mî Jesu, nunc libera me!’
II.
THE frost upon the window
Has painted all in ice,
Castles and caverns and crystals
With many a wild device.
Has painted all in ice,
Castles and caverns and crystals
With many a wild device.
And with my breath it painted;
But soon in the morning ray
The castle and caverns and crystals
Went running to nothing away.
But soon in the morning ray
The castle and caverns and crystals
Went running to nothing away.
The frost made wondrous pictures
With breath, and all in fun,
Just as full many a speaker
More seriously has done.
With breath, and all in fun,
Just as full many a speaker
More seriously has done.
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Building up domes in figures,
Painting in metaphor rare,
Making with breath his pictures,
Frosty and chilling and fair.
Painting in metaphor rare,
Making with breath his pictures,
Frosty and chilling and fair.
But when some great genial spirit
Came forth with a heart-warmed ray,
The frosty and crystalline figures
To nothing went fading away.
Came forth with a heart-warmed ray,
The frosty and crystalline figures
To nothing went fading away.
| The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems | |