The Poetical Works of George Barlow In Ten [Eleven] Volumes |
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THE YOUTH
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 | The Poetical Works of George Barlow |  |
17
THE YOUTH
Life thrills me through with all its mighty power:
Lord of my darling's heart, I rule the whole.
I reach the golden heart of every flower;
I apprehend the starry night's deep soul.
Lord of my darling's heart, I rule the whole.
I reach the golden heart of every flower;
I apprehend the starry night's deep soul.
Love touches all things into sweeter bloom,
Transfigures common things, till heavenly light
Gleams from the emerald moss on every tomb
And from the smallest blossom pure and white.
Transfigures common things, till heavenly light
Gleams from the emerald moss on every tomb
And from the smallest blossom pure and white.
I love. And therefore heaven and God are true:
Christ's resurrection was no woman's dream.
Because I love, the sky is ever blue:
Because I love, the stars shall alway gleam.
Christ's resurrection was no woman's dream.
Because I love, the sky is ever blue:
Because I love, the stars shall alway gleam.
Because I love, I understand the love
That led God's heart to suffer for the race.
God died for all, his love for all to prove,
As I would die for one belovéd face.
That led God's heart to suffer for the race.
God died for all, his love for all to prove,
As I would die for one belovéd face.
18
If I thus love, can God love less than I?
The Ruler of the spheres love less than man?
The God whose breath pervades eternity,
Can time-born Satan intercept his plan?
The Ruler of the spheres love less than man?
The God whose breath pervades eternity,
Can time-born Satan intercept his plan?
Nay! all shall end in joy. All troubles pass.
Did not I just now kiss my darling's hand?
Chirp, merrier cricket, from the tall green grass!
Break, bluer seas, upon a whiter land!
Did not I just now kiss my darling's hand?
Chirp, merrier cricket, from the tall green grass!
Break, bluer seas, upon a whiter land!
Sing, happier birds, from leaves more soft and dense!
O goldfinch, chanting from yon apple-tree,
God's love which made the heaven a nest immense
For all the stars, made thy small nest for thee!
O goldfinch, chanting from yon apple-tree,
God's love which made the heaven a nest immense
For all the stars, made thy small nest for thee!
For thee and for thy love he made the small
Sweet nest of moss and straw and twigs that holds
Your four eggs safe, as heaven's nest holdeth all
The gold stars safe within its cloudy folds.
Sweet nest of moss and straw and twigs that holds
Your four eggs safe, as heaven's nest holdeth all
The gold stars safe within its cloudy folds.
And for my love and me he made the earth,
And all its azure skies, and all its flowers.
“Love on,” he said: “Rejoice with tenderest mirth,
And seek the fields while I hold back the showers.
And all its azure skies, and all its flowers.
“Love on,” he said: “Rejoice with tenderest mirth,
And seek the fields while I hold back the showers.
19
“I set upon the hedge the scented may
That thou mightst pluck it. And I made some white
Some red: the red may for your wedding-day,
The white pure blossom for your wedding-night.
That thou mightst pluck it. And I made some white
Some red: the red may for your wedding-day,
The white pure blossom for your wedding-night.
“I made laburnum, yellow, starry, fair,
That ye might gather this and be content;
Not craving for star-blossoms of the air,
But gathering here the golden bloom I sent.
That ye might gather this and be content;
Not craving for star-blossoms of the air,
But gathering here the golden bloom I sent.
“And I made lilac—purple flowers and white:
The silvery bloom for her, the deep for thee.
And I sent breakers dark and breakers bright
To be your coursers over the wide sea.
The silvery bloom for her, the deep for thee.
And I sent breakers dark and breakers bright
To be your coursers over the wide sea.
“All things in double forms I made for you:
The chestnut-blossoms red, the blossoms pale;
The crocus sunlike in its fiery hue,
The crocus white as thy love's wedding-veil.
The chestnut-blossoms red, the blossoms pale;
The crocus sunlike in its fiery hue,
The crocus white as thy love's wedding-veil.
“I made the golden sun to light your day:
I made the silver moon's less garish light.
I gave the nightingale his amorous lay,
And bade him chant it on your bridal night.
I made the silver moon's less garish light.
I gave the nightingale his amorous lay,
And bade him chant it on your bridal night.
20
“When the first star lay, resting in my hand,
Poised, ere I hurled it forth upon the deep,
In my far-seeing thought your love I planned
And chose star-warders for your nuptial sleep.
Poised, ere I hurled it forth upon the deep,
In my far-seeing thought your love I planned
And chose star-warders for your nuptial sleep.
“Before the first flower blossomed, I ordained
Within my soul the blossoms she should wear.
Ere time began, within my thought I stained
Deep-red the poppies for her deep-black hair.
Within my soul the blossoms she should wear.
Ere time began, within my thought I stained
Deep-red the poppies for her deep-black hair.
“And, as time onward sped, through rose on rose
I poured the sweetness and the fragrant bliss
Which, quite perfected now, her lips disclose,
And culled from flowers the sweetness of her kiss.”
I poured the sweetness and the fragrant bliss
Which, quite perfected now, her lips disclose,
And culled from flowers the sweetness of her kiss.”
So God said, having us in his regard,
Us two, and us alone, my love and me;
As if the whole sublime heaven, golden-starred,
Were made to light one inlet of the sea.
Us two, and us alone, my love and me;
As if the whole sublime heaven, golden-starred,
Were made to light one inlet of the sea.
As if the sun were for a single flower
Created,—for one blue-bell in a lane:
As if creation's every previous hour
Were preparation for our final reign.
Created,—for one blue-bell in a lane:
As if creation's every previous hour
Were preparation for our final reign.
21
So ever will we reign, my love and I:
The one thing deathless is a love like ours.
It gathers depth from the unmeasured sky:
It gathers sweetness from the whole world's flowers.
The one thing deathless is a love like ours.
It gathers depth from the unmeasured sky:
It gathers sweetness from the whole world's flowers.
My love is mine for ever. I am hers.
Nought charms me save the royalty in her look.
At her least touch my being thrills and stirs
To-day, as at her first long glance it shook.
Nought charms me save the royalty in her look.
At her least touch my being thrills and stirs
To-day, as at her first long glance it shook.
No love that changes is the love supreme:
No love that falters is the love divine.
Death would not wake me from my passionate dream:
No love that tires of love is love like mine.
No love that falters is the love divine.
Death would not wake me from my passionate dream:
No love that tires of love is love like mine.
For sooner could God's hand displace the sun,
Or hush the drum-roll of the stormy sea,
Or, having made stars countless, leave not one,
Than quench the unending fire of love in me.
Or hush the drum-roll of the stormy sea,
Or, having made stars countless, leave not one,
Than quench the unending fire of love in me.
| The Poetical Works of George Barlow | |