 | The poems (1969) |  |
28 ‘Ye genii who, in secret state’
543
Ye genii who, in secret state
Far from the wheaten field,
At some thronged city's antique gate
Your unseen sceptres wield;
Far from the wheaten field,
At some thronged city's antique gate
Your unseen sceptres wield;
Ye powers that such high office share
O'er all the restless earth,
Who see each day descend with care
Or lost in senseless mirth;
O'er all the restless earth,
Who see each day descend with care
Or lost in senseless mirth;
Take them, who know not how to prize
The walks to wisdom dear,
The gradual fruits and varying skies
That paint the gradual year;
The walks to wisdom dear,
The gradual fruits and varying skies
That paint the gradual year;
Take all that to the silent sod
Prefer the sounding street,
And let your echoing squares be trod
By their unresting feet.
Prefer the sounding street,
And let your echoing squares be trod
By their unresting feet.
But me, by [OMITTED] springlets laid
That through the woodland chide,
Let elms and oaks, that lent their shade
To hoary druids, hide.
That through the woodland chide,
Let elms and oaks, that lent their shade
To hoary druids, hide.
Let me, where'er wild nature leads
My sight, enamoured look
And choose my hymning pipe from reeds
That roughen o'er the brook.
My sight, enamoured look
And choose my hymning pipe from reeds
That roughen o'er the brook.
544
Sometimes, when morning o'er [the] plain
Her radiant mantle throws,
I'll mark the clouds where sweet Lorraine
His orient colours chose;
Her radiant mantle throws,
I'll mark the clouds where sweet Lorraine
His orient colours chose;
Or, when the sun to noontide climbs,
I'll hide me from his view
By such green plats and cheerful limes
As [OMITTED] Rysdael drew.
I'll hide me from his view
By such green plats and cheerful limes
As [OMITTED] Rysdael drew.
545
Then on some heath, all wild and bare,
With more delight I'll stand
Than he who sees with wondering air
The works of Rosa's hand:
With more delight I'll stand
Than he who sees with wondering air
The works of Rosa's hand:
There where some rock's deep cavern gapes
Or in some tawny dell,
I'll seem to see the wizard shapes
That from his pencil fell.
Or in some tawny dell,
I'll seem to see the wizard shapes
That from his pencil fell.
But when soft evening o'er the plain
Her gleamy mantle throws,
I'll mark the clouds whence sweet Lorraine
His [OMITTED] colours chose;
Her gleamy mantle throws,
I'll mark the clouds whence sweet Lorraine
His [OMITTED] colours chose;
Or from the vale I'll lift my sight
To some [OMITTED]
Where'er the sun withdraws his light,
The dying lustre falls.
To some [OMITTED]
Where'er the sun withdraws his light,
The dying lustre falls.
Such [OMITTED] will I keep
Till [OMITTED]
The modest moon again shall peep
Above some eastern hill.
Till [OMITTED]
The modest moon again shall peep
Above some eastern hill.
All tints that ever picture used
Are lifeless, dull and mean,
To paint her dewy light diffused
[OMITTED]
Are lifeless, dull and mean,
To paint her dewy light diffused
[OMITTED]
What art can paint the modest ray,
So sober, chaste and cool,
As round yon cliffs it seems to play
Or skirts yon glimmering pool?
So sober, chaste and cool,
546
Or skirts yon glimmering pool?
The tender gleam her orb affords
No poet can declare,
Although he choose the softest words
That e'er were sighed in air.
No poet can declare,
Although he choose the softest words
That e'er were sighed in air.
| The poems (1969) | |