 | Lyrics and idyls |  |
24
LOVE I HAD BANISHED.
Love I had banished away for a day,
Banished a thorn to the thorns of Scorn,
Passing, behold how he lay like a ray,
Lay like the creamiest cluster of may,
Clad on with myrrh and with morn!
Banished a thorn to the thorns of Scorn,
Passing, behold how he lay like a ray,
Lay like the creamiest cluster of may,
Clad on with myrrh and with morn!
Stricken of bitterness fleet were my feet,
Fleet to the side which my heart had denied;
Fain for his laughter, a seat at his sweet
Side, and hard kisses to heal him and heat
The ice of his wounded pride.
Fleet to the side which my heart had denied;
Fain for his laughter, a seat at his sweet
Side, and hard kisses to heal him and heat
The ice of his wounded pride.
Holding him there, with the night lying light
As plumes that are stirred of a sleeping bird;
Crushing him close to me, slight beat the white
Rose of his members, like rain that is bright
'Neath the sun riding kingly and spurred.
As plumes that are stirred of a sleeping bird;
Crushing him close to me, slight beat the white
Rose of his members, like rain that is bright
'Neath the sun riding kingly and spurred.
25
Kissing him there in the glow and the blow,
Glow of the blue and blow of the dew,
Leaned to him, happy and slow as the flow
Of stars that thirst trembling through darkness, leaned low,
Blush was his cheeks' hale hue.
Glow of the blue and blow of the dew,
Leaned to him, happy and slow as the flow
Of stars that thirst trembling through darkness, leaned low,
Blush was his cheeks' hale hue.
Blossoming limbs that breathed rare, and as bare
As beauty who dreams in the gray moonbeams;
Glamorous gold fell his hair that was fair
Lit of his eyes, starring lustrous the lair
Of curls that were shadowy gleams.
As beauty who dreams in the gray moonbeams;
Glamorous gold fell his hair that was fair
Lit of his eyes, starring lustrous the lair
Of curls that were shadowy gleams.
Love, I had taken for mate, as the late
Hours crept slow through the shy night's glow,
Stole from me leaving a weight as of fate,
Fate and all scorn, and the harshness of hate,
Hard on my slumbering woe.
Hours crept slow through the shy night's glow,
Stole from me leaving a weight as of fate,
Fate and all scorn, and the harshness of hate,
Hard on my slumbering woe.
Love, I had held to my breast and caressed,
Hiding him deep in the eyes of sleep,
Waking had flown from the nest he had pressed,
Pressed with his fondling limbs, and the rest—
Remembrance that only can weep.
Hiding him deep in the eyes of sleep,
Waking had flown from the nest he had pressed,
Pressed with his fondling limbs, and the rest—
Remembrance that only can weep.
63
LOVE A-MILKING.
I
“Hoard no more hope! believe me!”
—“Thou wouldst not make me poor!”—
“Wouldst lead me to deceive me?
As many a maid before,
To win me then to leave me?—
Say no more, sir, say no more!”
—“Thou wouldst not make me poor!”—
“Wouldst lead me to deceive me?
As many a maid before,
To win me then to leave me?—
Say no more, sir, say no more!”
“Love trusts! sweet faith! thereof, my lass,
Trust wins to trust above, my lass—
Love's older than our love, my lass,
Not wiser than of yore.”
Trust wins to trust above, my lass—
Love's older than our love, my lass,
Not wiser than of yore.”
II
“Thy love is over simple
To woo one on the leas;
One's kirtle torn; in wimple
Unbusked; tanned by the breeze.”
—“Thou needest but that dimple—
On thy knees, Love, on thy knees!
To woo one on the leas;
One's kirtle torn; in wimple
Unbusked; tanned by the breeze.”
—“Thou needest but that dimple—
On thy knees, Love, on thy knees!
64
“What's wiser than thine eyes, my lass?
Thy heart?—Beneath God's skies, my lass,
Love! wiser than the wise, my lass—
We blind! 't is Love who sees.
Thy heart?—Beneath God's skies, my lass,
Love! wiser than the wise, my lass—
We blind! 't is Love who sees.
III
“'Low apple blossoms breaking
Pay me the kiss dost owe.”
—“'T is thine, thine be the taking.”
—“Aboon the afterglow
Three kiss-soft stars are waking—
Walk slow, my love, walk slow.”
Pay me the kiss dost owe.”
—“'T is thine, thine be the taking.”
—“Aboon the afterglow
Three kiss-soft stars are waking—
Walk slow, my love, walk slow.”
“More dear the dusk for dew, my lad;
More sweet the stars when few, my lad;
Life's trials, when love is true, my lad,
Are lighter than we know.”
More sweet the stars when few, my lad;
Life's trials, when love is true, my lad,
Are lighter than we know.”
100
HIS SONG.
Sing to me how I pine to blow
The flower beneath thy lattice low—
Then wouldst thou cull me, sweet, and wear
A captive in thy slumberous hair,
Thy hair?
The flower beneath thy lattice low—
Then wouldst thou cull me, sweet, and wear
A captive in thy slumberous hair,
Thy hair?
Sing to me how I yearn to shine
Yon pearly star above yon pine
Thou gazest on—I, of the skies,
Should thus be taken to thine eyes,
Thine eyes?
Yon pearly star above yon pine
Thou gazest on—I, of the skies,
Should thus be taken to thine eyes,
Thine eyes?
Sing to me how I'd be the breeze
Which dips the dandelioned leas
Thy footsteps find—I, of the south,
Might live a kiss upon thy mouth,
Thy mouth?
Which dips the dandelioned leas
Thy footsteps find—I, of the south,
Might live a kiss upon thy mouth,
Thy mouth?
101
Sing to me how my heart doth long
To be the burden of some song
Thou lovest; so myself might be
The melody of memory
To thee.
To be the burden of some song
Thou lovest; so myself might be
The melody of memory
To thee.
| Lyrics and idyls | |