 | The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems |  |
95
THELEMÉ.
‘Give me leave,’ said Friar John, ‘to found an abbey after my own fancy.’ And Garagantua, well pleased, offered him all the country of Thelemé.—
Rabelais, Book i. C. lvii.
I SAT one night on a palace step
Wrapped up in a mantle thin,
And I gazed with a smile on the world without,
With a growl at my world within.
Till I heard the merry voices ring
Of a lordly companie,
And straight to myself I began to sing:
‘It is there I ought to be.’
Wrapped up in a mantle thin,
And I gazed with a smile on the world without,
With a growl at my world within.
Till I heard the merry voices ring
Of a lordly companie,
And straight to myself I began to sing:
‘It is there I ought to be.’
And long I gazed through a lattice raised,
Which looked from the old grey wall,
And my glance went in with the evening breeze,
And ran o'er the revellers all.
And I said: ‘If they saw me 'twould cool their mirth
Far more than this wild breeze free;
But a merrier party was ne'er on earth,
And among them I ought to be.’
Which looked from the old grey wall,
And my glance went in with the evening breeze,
And ran o'er the revellers all.
And I said: ‘If they saw me 'twould cool their mirth
Far more than this wild breeze free;
But a merrier party was ne'er on earth,
And among them I ought to be.’
And, oh, but they all were beautiful,
Fairer than fairy dreams,
And their words were sweet as the wind-harp's tone
When it sings o'er summer streams;
And they pledged each other with noble mien,
‘True heart, with my life to thee!’
‘Alack!’ quoth I, ‘but my soul is dry,
And among them I fain would be.’
Fairer than fairy dreams,
And their words were sweet as the wind-harp's tone
When it sings o'er summer streams;
96
‘True heart, with my life to thee!’
‘Alack!’ quoth I, ‘but my soul is dry,
And among them I fain would be.’
And the gentlemen were noble souls,
Good fellows both sain and sound:
I had not deemed that a band like this
Could over the world be found;
And they spoke of brave and beautiful things,
Of all that was dear to me;
So I thought, ‘Perhaps they would like me well
If among them I once might be!’
Good fellows both sain and sound:
I had not deemed that a band like this
Could over the world be found;
And they spoke of brave and beautiful things,
Of all that was dear to me;
So I thought, ‘Perhaps they would like me well
If among them I once might be!’
And lovely were the ladies too
Who sat in the lighted hall,
And one there was, oh, dream of life!
The loveliest of them all;
She sat alone by an empty chair,
The Queen of the feast was she;
And I said to myself, ‘By that lady fair
I certainly ought to be!’
Who sat in the lighted hall,
And one there was, oh, dream of life!
The loveliest of them all;
She sat alone by an empty chair,
The Queen of the feast was she;
And I said to myself, ‘By that lady fair
I certainly ought to be!’
And aloud she spoke: ‘We have waited long
For one who in fear and doubt
Looks wistfully into our Hall of Song,
As he sits on the steps without;
I have sung to him long in silent dreams,
I have led him o'er land and sea:
Go, welcome him in as his rank beseems,
And give him a place by me!’
For one who in fear and doubt
Looks wistfully into our Hall of Song,
As he sits on the steps without;
I have sung to him long in silent dreams,
I have led him o'er land and sea:
Go, welcome him in as his rank beseems,
And give him a place by me!’
They opened the door, yet I shrunk with shame
As I sat in my mantle thin,
But they haled me out with a joyous shout,
And merrily led me in,
And gave me a place by my bright-haired love
As she wept with joy and glee,
So I said to myself: ‘By the stars above,
I am just where I ought to be!’
As I sat in my mantle thin,
But they haled me out with a joyous shout,
And merrily led me in,
97
As she wept with joy and glee,
So I said to myself: ‘By the stars above,
I am just where I ought to be!’
Farewell to thee, life of joy and grief!
Farewell to thee, care and pain!
Farewell, thou cruel and selfish world,
For I never will know thee again!
I live in a land where good fellows abound,—
In Thelemé by the sea;
They may long for a happier life that will,—
I am just where I ought to be.
Farewell to thee, care and pain!
Farewell, thou cruel and selfish world,
For I never will know thee again!
I live in a land where good fellows abound,—
In Thelemé by the sea;
They may long for a happier life that will,—
I am just where I ought to be.
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