The Poetical Works of George Barlow In Ten [Eleven] Volumes |
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TO A LADY WITH DEEP BLACK HAIR
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| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
 | The Poetical Works of George Barlow |  |
126
TO A LADY WITH DEEP BLACK HAIR
Wonderful hair
Deep-flowing and rare,
Full of the dreams of the loves of the past,
Than flowers more fair,
Around me thy magical spells are cast.
Deep-flowing and rare,
Full of the dreams of the loves of the past,
Than flowers more fair,
Around me thy magical spells are cast.
O sweet sweet tresses,
What far caresses
Wait you in bowers and dells of the land
As on time presses?
What tenderest touching of love's soft hand?
What far caresses
Wait you in bowers and dells of the land
As on time presses?
What tenderest touching of love's soft hand?
Black, deep black,
With never a track
In their deep sweet midst for the moon to follow;
Ever they lack
The bright sunbeams that in gold deep hollow
With never a track
In their deep sweet midst for the moon to follow;
Ever they lack
The bright sunbeams that in gold deep hollow
127
Of gold hair hide:
No sunbeam bride
Thou art, O lady; thy black black hair
Is sweeter than tide
Of gold that lures from his deep hill-lair
No sunbeam bride
Thou art, O lady; thy black black hair
Is sweeter than tide
Of gold that lures from his deep hill-lair
Apollo the king
With gold fleet wing,
And forces his lips to bend and to kiss,
And kissing, sing.
Purer are thy black locks than this.
With gold fleet wing,
And forces his lips to bend and to kiss,
And kissing, sing.
Purer are thy black locks than this.
And the scent of the rose
The deep hair throws
From its midst, the subtle unspeakable charm
That in deep hair glows,
Or in sweet white shoulder or rose-sweet arm.
The deep hair throws
From its midst, the subtle unspeakable charm
That in deep hair glows,
Or in sweet white shoulder or rose-sweet arm.
Oh, if the hair
So tenderly fair
Shines, what must the kiss of the soft lips be,
Moulded to snare
With laughter or soft speech,—wondrous to me!
So tenderly fair
Shines, what must the kiss of the soft lips be,
Moulded to snare
With laughter or soft speech,—wondrous to me!
128
O black black locks,
As the time-wave rocks
O'er sands and shoals, take this brief song
Which the time-surge mocks
With music of ripples alive and strong.
As the time-wave rocks
O'er sands and shoals, take this brief song
Which the time-surge mocks
With music of ripples alive and strong.
O wonderful hair
So black, so rare,
So deep, so dark, so splendid a coil
For a woman to wear,
Too splendid a crown for death to soil,
So black, so rare,
So deep, so dark, so splendid a coil
For a woman to wear,
Too splendid a crown for death to soil,
Immortally sweet,
A singer I greet
Your beautiful tangled and twisted mass
That down to the feet
Once tenderly loosened methinks might pass.
A singer I greet
Your beautiful tangled and twisted mass
That down to the feet
Once tenderly loosened methinks might pass.
Unkissed they abide,—
Not crowned as a bride
Thou art, O lady; thou art as a queen
Of chaste high pride
Who on throne superb and sedate is seen,
Not crowned as a bride
Thou art, O lady; thou art as a queen
Of chaste high pride
Who on throne superb and sedate is seen,
129
Ruling the land
With soft white hand,—
And wonderful unkissed black dear hair
Twined band upon band,
The sweetest of all things God made fair.
With soft white hand,—
And wonderful unkissed black dear hair
Twined band upon band,
The sweetest of all things God made fair.
July 27, 1880.
| The Poetical Works of George Barlow | |