 | Passion-Flowers |  |
105
THE ROYAL GUEST.
They tell me I am shrewd with other men,
With thee I'm slow and difficult of speech;
With others I may guide the car of talk,
Thou wing'st it oft to realms beyond my reach.
With thee I'm slow and difficult of speech;
With others I may guide the car of talk,
Thou wing'st it oft to realms beyond my reach.
If other guests should come, I'd deck my hair,
And choose my newest garment from the shelf;
When thou art bidden, I would clothe my heart
With holiest purpose, as for God himself.
And choose my newest garment from the shelf;
When thou art bidden, I would clothe my heart
With holiest purpose, as for God himself.
For them, I wile the hours with tale or song,
Or web of fancy, fringed with careless rhyme;
But how to find a fitting lay for thee,
Who hast the harmonies of every time?
Or web of fancy, fringed with careless rhyme;
But how to find a fitting lay for thee,
Who hast the harmonies of every time?
106
Oh friend beloved! I sit apart and dumb,
Sometimes in sorrow, oft in joy divine;
My lip will falter, but my prisoned heart
Springs forth to measure its faint pulse with thine.
Sometimes in sorrow, oft in joy divine;
My lip will falter, but my prisoned heart
Springs forth to measure its faint pulse with thine.
Thou art to me most like a royal guest
Whose travels bring him to some lowly roof
Where simple rustics spread their festal fare,
And, blushing, own it is not good enough.
Whose travels bring him to some lowly roof
Where simple rustics spread their festal fare,
And, blushing, own it is not good enough.
Bethink thee, then, whene'er thou com'st to me
From high emprise and noble toil to rest,
My thoughts are weak and trivial matched with thine;
But the poor mansion offers thee its best.
From high emprise and noble toil to rest,
My thoughts are weak and trivial matched with thine;
But the poor mansion offers thee its best.
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