Griselda A Tragedy: And Other Poems. By Edwin Arnold |
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DREAM-LAND. |
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 | Griselda |  |
212
DREAM-LAND.
Wonderful Life!
So sad with partings, and so sweet with meetings,
Made up of wild farewells, and wilder greetings;
Oh word, with wonder rife!
So sad with partings, and so sweet with meetings,
Made up of wild farewells, and wilder greetings;
Oh word, with wonder rife!
What do we here?
Whence come we with this longing, loving breast?
Why do we live to die? we fear our rest;
And are afraid to fear!
Whence come we with this longing, loving breast?
Why do we live to die? we fear our rest;
And are afraid to fear!
Ah! tell us why,
Why are our pleasures dead within the day,
While pains make nest-homes of our hearts and stay,
Wherefore comes misery?
Why are our pleasures dead within the day,
While pains make nest-homes of our hearts and stay,
Wherefore comes misery?
213
And wherefore Pain?
And why on our sad Planet, else so fair,
Dwell Hate, and Cowardice, and pale Despair,
And the hot rage for gain?
And why on our sad Planet, else so fair,
Dwell Hate, and Cowardice, and pale Despair,
And the hot rage for gain?
Moon and sweet Stars!
Hath God cursed us of all his orbs in Heaven?
Drive we alone, rayless and unforgiven,
Bloody with brother-wars?
Hath God cursed us of all his orbs in Heaven?
Drive we alone, rayless and unforgiven,
Bloody with brother-wars?
Speak if ye know!
Why lose we what we love longest and best?
Shine, Sisters! shine upon our dark unrest,
Saying, it is not so!
Why lose we what we love longest and best?
Shine, Sisters! shine upon our dark unrest,
Saying, it is not so!
I miss a face,
A friend, whose love was to my life its heart;
Why are our eyes and hands riven apart?
Why—even for a space?
A friend, whose love was to my life its heart;
Why are our eyes and hands riven apart?
Why—even for a space?
214
Sorrow and Pain!
Hope's silvery whisper saddens when ye speak,
Go to! the settled colour of my cheek
Stirs not for her again:
Hope's silvery whisper saddens when ye speak,
Go to! the settled colour of my cheek
Stirs not for her again:
A cheat Life seems!
We'll laugh it off, Brothers: though we have wept!
Therewith, aweary of my thoughts I slept,
And took them to my dreams:—
We'll laugh it off, Brothers: though we have wept!
Therewith, aweary of my thoughts I slept,
And took them to my dreams:—
Ah mystery!
Nay then! believe it for the sweet dream's sake,
Whether I dreamed asleep, or mused awake,
An Angel spake with me!
Nay then! believe it for the sweet dream's sake,
Whether I dreamed asleep, or mused awake,
An Angel spake with me!
Spake from above,—
I knew her though she floated from the skies,
The noble presence, and the large deep eyes
Of her I loved, and love,
I knew her though she floated from the skies,
The noble presence, and the large deep eyes
Of her I loved, and love,
215
Spake low and clear;
‘Arise! I have an errand unto thee!
The heart that dares to beat as thine does, free,
Heareth, what thou shalt hear.’
‘Arise! I have an errand unto thee!
The heart that dares to beat as thine does, free,
Heareth, what thou shalt hear.’
Thereat I rose,
Wondering to see her balanced pennons spread;
And keeping their white shadow overhead,
Followed her flying close,
Wondering to see her balanced pennons spread;
And keeping their white shadow overhead,
Followed her flying close,
Far, far away;
Till sound of mortal grief, and mortal mirth,
Died from the sky, and far below the Earth
A quiet, bright globe lay:
Till sound of mortal grief, and mortal mirth,
Died from the sky, and far below the Earth
A quiet, bright globe lay:
And I was 'ware
Of solemn breath breathed in that stilly spot;
And that the heart spake, though the lips moved not;
As though its home were there;
Of solemn breath breathed in that stilly spot;
And that the heart spake, though the lips moved not;
As though its home were there;
216
As though its home
Were high among the Angels of God's sky,
Where the wild clouds were wandering;—and I
Waited for what should come;
Were high among the Angels of God's sky,
Where the wild clouds were wandering;—and I
Waited for what should come;
Nor waited long:
For still wherever She and I went winging,
Two voices ever in one key were singing
The measure of one song:
For still wherever She and I went winging,
Two voices ever in one key were singing
The measure of one song:
One chorussed word;
Whereto the soft fan of the silver feather,
Made music as her white wings beat together,
And the blue ether stirred:
Whereto the soft fan of the silver feather,
Made music as her white wings beat together,
And the blue ether stirred:
Then I—‘Oh! whither?’
And She—‘Far past the farthest ken of mortal,
To where the Star-Queen guards the Star-World's portal,
Thither, Love mine!—aye! thither!’
And She—‘Far past the farthest ken of mortal,
To where the Star-Queen guards the Star-World's portal,
Thither, Love mine!—aye! thither!’
217
So when her plumes,
Heretofore high above me gleaming white,
Wore the rich tinting of that Planet's light
In crimson-coloured blooms,
Heretofore high above me gleaming white,
Wore the rich tinting of that Planet's light
In crimson-coloured blooms,
Then from above
Came down the breath of an entrancing pleasure;
Came round the burden of a boundless measure,
A seraph-song of Love,
Came down the breath of an entrancing pleasure;
Came round the burden of a boundless measure,
A seraph-song of Love,
High love—whose strain
Her heart and mine, in solemn symphony,
Beating beyond our wills harmoniously,
Answered, answered again.
Her heart and mine, in solemn symphony,
Beating beyond our wills harmoniously,
Answered, answered again.
How did I bear
The gracious glory of my Lady's eyes?
Save that the bright love in them calmed surprise
And dazzled off my fear;
The gracious glory of my Lady's eyes?
Save that the bright love in them calmed surprise
And dazzled off my fear;
218
Nor only eyes;
Her sweet lips touched me once upon the brow,
And whispered, ‘Love of mine, thou knowest now
The secret of the skies!—
Her sweet lips touched me once upon the brow,
And whispered, ‘Love of mine, thou knowest now
The secret of the skies!—
This land of Wings
Hath rest for thee and me for aye and aye.’
Then I—‘Sweet Saint, for my full comfort say
All that its music sings,
Hath rest for thee and me for aye and aye.’
Then I—‘Sweet Saint, for my full comfort say
All that its music sings,
All—all it sings:—
Know'st thou on Earth the earnest love I have,
Know'st thou that I could love thee in thy grave,
Better than living things?’
Know'st thou on Earth the earnest love I have,
Know'st thou that I could love thee in thy grave,
Better than living things?’
‘Not there’—she said,
Into this Dream-Land I have leave to come,
To cheer thee with the sight of our sweet Home
When Thou and I are dead;
Into this Dream-Land I have leave to come,
To cheer thee with the sight of our sweet Home
When Thou and I are dead;
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But there the veil
Is over hearts:—I know not if I know
That thou and I shall e'er be telling so
‘On Earth, our true-love tale.’
Is over hearts:—I know not if I know
That thou and I shall e'er be telling so
‘On Earth, our true-love tale.’
‘Sweet! I shall seem
‘Graceless,’ I said! but must there never be
Home-fires—home-faces—and home-loves?—ah me!
Nought of my earthly dream?’
‘Graceless,’ I said! but must there never be
Home-fires—home-faces—and home-loves?—ah me!
Nought of my earthly dream?’
The star-light shone
The brighter for a smile that filled her face:—
No answer! but a quick and kind embrace:
Save her kiss,—answer none!
The brighter for a smile that filled her face:—
No answer! but a quick and kind embrace:
Save her kiss,—answer none!
Then I, ‘Ah me!
The brow should wear a crown that wears thy kiss;
Though I love patiently, I shall lack this,
Not being worthy thee.’
The brow should wear a crown that wears thy kiss;
Though I love patiently, I shall lack this,
Not being worthy thee.’
220
She raised her hand,
And my glance followed it—and I was 'ware
Of a fine spirit floating down the air,
Whose forehead's thought was grand;
And my glance followed it—and I was 'ware
Of a fine spirit floating down the air,
Whose forehead's thought was grand;
Fast, fast and free
He smote the lyre-strings into magic measures,
Whereto a Lady listed, tranced in pleasures,
Lo! it was I and she!
He smote the lyre-strings into magic measures,
Whereto a Lady listed, tranced in pleasures,
Lo! it was I and she!
And all the throng
Of all sweet things I thought of day by day,
The words I would have said and could not say,
Came up into his song!
Of all sweet things I thought of day by day,
The words I would have said and could not say,
Came up into his song!
‘Shall I be thus,
And thou with me?’—She said ‘Be true and brave,
Follow thy Life out, e'en to thy Life's grave,
And such shall be thy bliss.’
And thou with me?’—She said ‘Be true and brave,
Follow thy Life out, e'en to thy Life's grave,
And such shall be thy bliss.’
221
‘Dear Saint’—I said,
‘Lest I shall faint living a life so lone,
Tell me that absence cannot change the gone,
Nor death estrange the dead,
‘Lest I shall faint living a life so lone,
Tell me that absence cannot change the gone,
Nor death estrange the dead,
They, first and last,
The comfort of whose spirits was to mine
Like Rain to Summer; ah! my heart will pine,
Its friendships seeming past.
The comfort of whose spirits was to mine
Like Rain to Summer; ah! my heart will pine,
Its friendships seeming past.
Say!—is it thus?
Are our hearts lower, weaker than our thinking,
Can leagues divide the subtle spirit-linking,
Whose fine chain fettered us?
Are our hearts lower, weaker than our thinking,
Can leagues divide the subtle spirit-linking,
Whose fine chain fettered us?
Can they? oh Life!
Why at the first or last of thy long day
Loose we the hand we clung to by the way,
And strive alone in the strife?’
Why at the first or last of thy long day
Loose we the hand we clung to by the way,
And strive alone in the strife?’
222
Thereat I wept:—
And she—she touched me with a touch as mild
As a fond mother might her frightened child
Who sighed, and sighing slept.
And she—she touched me with a touch as mild
As a fond mother might her frightened child
Who sighed, and sighing slept.
Saying, ‘Rash one!
Love's strength is perfect in love's utter weakness,
Love's nobleness is noblest in love's meekness,
Love ever! none are gone!
Love's strength is perfect in love's utter weakness,
Love's nobleness is noblest in love's meekness,
Love ever! none are gone!
None go! none ever!
Know! when two hearts are set to one true time,
For aye they make one music, chime one chime,
Look up! and doubt it never!’
Know! when two hearts are set to one true time,
For aye they make one music, chime one chime,
Look up! and doubt it never!’
Our starry torch
Died in a bright white flood of brilliant flame,
Wherein a thousand Angels went and came
Thronging an entrance-Porch
Died in a bright white flood of brilliant flame,
Wherein a thousand Angels went and came
Thronging an entrance-Porch
223
With star-lights groined;
Whence rang a voice that said, ‘Soul! cease thy wonder!
Not Death is strong enough to part asunder,
Whom Life and Love have joined!’
Whence rang a voice that said, ‘Soul! cease thy wonder!
Not Death is strong enough to part asunder,
Whom Life and Love have joined!’
For which word's sake,
Seeing no stars, no Angels but mine own,
I turned to kiss her hands: lo! She was flown!
And I—I was awake!
Seeing no stars, no Angels but mine own,
I turned to kiss her hands: lo! She was flown!
And I—I was awake!
Fraser's Magazine, Sept. 1855.
| Griselda | |