 | Poems by Sarah Helen Whitman |  |
26
THE GOLDEN BALL.
A TALE OF FAERIE.
“In olden dayes
All was the land fulfilled of Faerie—
The Elf Queen, with her jollie companie,
Danced full oft in many a grassy mede.
This was the old opinion, as I rede.—
I speak of many hundred years ago—
But now can no man see the Elvès mo.”
Chaucer.
All was the land fulfilled of Faerie—
The Elf Queen, with her jollie companie,
Danced full oft in many a grassy mede.
This was the old opinion, as I rede.—
I speak of many hundred years ago—
But now can no man see the Elvès mo.”
Chaucer.
In the hushed and silken chamber
Of my childhood, Eleanore,
When the daylight's dying amber
Faded on the dusky floor;
Of my childhood, Eleanore,
When the daylight's dying amber
Faded on the dusky floor;
When the village bells were ringing
At the hour of evening prayer,
And the little birds were winging
Homeward through the dewy air,
At the hour of evening prayer,
And the little birds were winging
Homeward through the dewy air,
Wooing me to twilight slumbers,
In that soft and balmy clime,
Often have I heard the numbers
Of the ancient fairy-rhyme,—
In that soft and balmy clime,
Often have I heard the numbers
Of the ancient fairy-rhyme,—
27
Listened to the mythic stories
Taught when fancy's charmed sway
Filled with visionary glories
All my childhood's golden day.
Taught when fancy's charmed sway
Filled with visionary glories
All my childhood's golden day.
In the dull and drear December,
Sitting by the hearth-light's gleam,
Often do I still remember
Tales that haunt me like a dream,
Sitting by the hearth-light's gleam,
Often do I still remember
Tales that haunt me like a dream,
Often I recall the story
Of the outcast child forlorn,
Doomed to roam in forest hoary,
From the step-dame's cruel scorn.
Of the outcast child forlorn,
Doomed to roam in forest hoary,
From the step-dame's cruel scorn.
Long she wandered sad and lonely,
Till the daylight's dying bloom
Left one silver planet only
Trembling through the twilight gloom.
Till the daylight's dying bloom
Left one silver planet only
Trembling through the twilight gloom.
Orphaned in this world of sorrow,
Chased by savage beasts of prey;
Doomed, from frantic fears, to borrow
Strength to bear her on her way.
Chased by savage beasts of prey;
Doomed, from frantic fears, to borrow
Strength to bear her on her way.
Still she wandered, faint and weary,
Through the forest wild and wide,
Till her thoughts grew dark and dreary,
And her heart with terror died.
Through the forest wild and wide,
28
And her heart with terror died.
When a gracious fairy, wandering
Forth to greet the evening star,
Found her near a torrent, pondering
How to pass its watery bar.
Forth to greet the evening star,
Found her near a torrent, pondering
How to pass its watery bar.
Tenderly the gentle stranger
Led her to the foaming fall;
There, to guide her feet from danger,
Down she flung a Golden Ball.
Led her to the foaming fall;
There, to guide her feet from danger,
Down she flung a Golden Ball.
Shrined within its charmed hollow
Many a mystic virtue lay;
Safely might her footsteps follow
Wheresoe'er it led the way.
Many a mystic virtue lay;
Safely might her footsteps follow
Wheresoe'er it led the way.
Throbbed her heart with fear and wonder,
As the magic globe of gold
Onward through the rushing thunder
Of the stormy torrent rolled:
As the magic globe of gold
Onward through the rushing thunder
Of the stormy torrent rolled:
On where boundless forests, burning,
Scorched the air and scathed the sight,
From earth's livid features turning
Back the solemn pall of night:
Scorched the air and scathed the sight,
From earth's livid features turning
Back the solemn pall of night:
29
Still on golden axis rolling,
Onward, onward, still it sped,—
Still the maid, her fears controlling,
Fleetly following as it fled:
Onward, onward, still it sped,—
Still the maid, her fears controlling,
Fleetly following as it fled:
While the raging waters bore her
Safely o'er their hollow way,
And the flame-lights flashing o'er her
Paled like stars at break of day,—
Safely o'er their hollow way,
And the flame-lights flashing o'er her
Paled like stars at break of day,—
Paled before her virgin honor,
Paled before her love and truth;
Savage natures, gazing on her,
Turned to pity and to ruth.
Paled before her love and truth;
Savage natures, gazing on her,
Turned to pity and to ruth.
So she passed through flood and forest,—
Passed the ogre's yawning gate;
And when danger threatened sorest
Calmly trod the path of fate.
Passed the ogre's yawning gate;
And when danger threatened sorest
Calmly trod the path of fate.
Till the night that seemed so dreary
Grew more beautiful than day;
And her little feet, so weary,
Glided gently on their way,—
Grew more beautiful than day;
And her little feet, so weary,
Glided gently on their way,—
Glided o'er the grassy meadows
Steeped in perfume, starred with dew,
Glided 'neath the forest shadows
Till the moonlight, slanting through,
Steeped in perfume, starred with dew,
30
Till the moonlight, slanting through,
Gleamed athwart a fountain sleeping
Calmly in its hollow cells,
Where were little fishes leaping
All about the lily-bells.
Calmly in its hollow cells,
Where were little fishes leaping
All about the lily-bells.
Soon the lilies seemed to shiver,
And a tremor shook the air—
Curdled all the sleeping river—
Woke the thunder in its lair!
And a tremor shook the air—
Curdled all the sleeping river—
Woke the thunder in its lair!
Lo! a fish from out the water
Rising oped its rosy gills;
'T was the gracious fairy's daughter,
And the air with music thrills,
Rising oped its rosy gills;
'T was the gracious fairy's daughter,
And the air with music thrills,
As a sudden glory, bending
O'er the fountain's mystic gleam,
Changed her to a form transcending
Fantasy's divinest dream.
O'er the fountain's mystic gleam,
Changed her to a form transcending
Fantasy's divinest dream.
Water blooms, with olive twining,
Crowned a brow serenely sweet;
Robes, like woven lilies shining,
Flowed in folds about her feet.
Crowned a brow serenely sweet;
Robes, like woven lilies shining,
Flowed in folds about her feet.
31
With a look of soft imploring,
Thus she spoke, in rippling tones,
Sweet as summer waters pouring
Over reeds and pebble-stones:
Thus she spoke, in rippling tones,
Sweet as summer waters pouring
Over reeds and pebble-stones:
“Thou hast conquered, little stranger!
All thy bitter trials past,
Safe, through sorrow and through danger,
Thou hast won the goal at last.
All thy bitter trials past,
Safe, through sorrow and through danger,
Thou hast won the goal at last.
“Lift me from the silent water,
Let me on thy bosom lie;
For I am a fairy's daughter
Thralled by cruel sorcery.
Let me on thy bosom lie;
For I am a fairy's daughter
Thralled by cruel sorcery.
“Doomed beneath the wave forever,
Like the virgin Truth, to dwell,
Till a mortal hand shall sever,
Link by link, the charmèd spell;
Like the virgin Truth, to dwell,
Till a mortal hand shall sever,
Link by link, the charmèd spell;
“Till a faithful heart shall fold me
To its home of truth and love,—
So the ancient Fates have told me,
And the answering stars approve.
To its home of truth and love,—
So the ancient Fates have told me,
And the answering stars approve.
“Lift me, then, from out the river,
Now my charmèd life doth cease;
Henceforth I am thine forever;
Guard me, for my name is Peace.”
Now my charmèd life doth cease;
32
Guard me, for my name is Peace.”
Thus, dear child, the mythic story
Chimes to truth's unerring strain,
As the moon, in softened glory,
Sings the day-star's sweet refrain.
Chimes to truth's unerring strain,
As the moon, in softened glory,
Sings the day-star's sweet refrain.
Thus, though step-dame Nature chide thee,
And the snares of passion thrall,
Unto heavenly Peace shall guide thee
Faith's unerring Golden Ball.
And the snares of passion thrall,
Unto heavenly Peace shall guide thee
Faith's unerring Golden Ball.
| Poems by Sarah Helen Whitman | |