 | Louise de la Valliaere and other poems |  |
7
THE DREAMERS.
One by one o'er a dreamer's face
The shadows go;
Pain hath him in a close embrace,
And the phantom sorrow and woe
Make of his heart a weeping-place.
The shadows go;
Pain hath him in a close embrace,
And the phantom sorrow and woe
Make of his heart a weeping-place.
Lieth outside in the perfect night
The land at rest,
In the stainless snow of the May moon's light
And the bird i' the nest,
And the hawthorn sleep in a world of white.
The land at rest,
In the stainless snow of the May moon's light
And the bird i' the nest,
And the hawthorn sleep in a world of white.
Soon will the short sweet night be gone,
And the heart break;
Dream on, unharmèd heart, dream on!
The world full soon will wake,
And thy winged pain flee away in the dawn.
And the heart break;
Dream on, unharmèd heart, dream on!
The world full soon will wake,
And thy winged pain flee away in the dawn.
8
Ye are not empty—O hands forlorn!
That lie so still,
On the wild heart dreaming of pain and scorn,
The happy day will fill
Your palms outstretched, with new oil and corn.
That lie so still,
On the wild heart dreaming of pain and scorn,
The happy day will fill
Your palms outstretched, with new oil and corn.
O feet! ye tread no thorny path
In toil and heat,
Flowers for footway the future hath
To the waved gold of the wheat.
The first fruits yours, and the aftermath.
In toil and heat,
Flowers for footway the future hath
To the waved gold of the wheat.
The first fruits yours, and the aftermath.
O dreamer! turn from thy grieving now,
Hark! in the hush
A small wind ruffles with fingers slow
The grasses long and lush,
And O the choir in the elm-tree bough!
Hark! in the hush
A small wind ruffles with fingers slow
The grasses long and lush,
And O the choir in the elm-tree bough!
The brown bright shapes that swaying sit
I' the heart of shade,
Their throats are amber and chrysolite.
Frail each body was made,
But the gold voice poured into it!
I' the heart of shade,
Their throats are amber and chrysolite.
Frail each body was made,
But the gold voice poured into it!
9
My birds! God's minstrel choir ye are,
For Him each note;
I think He smiles to hear afar
The innocent rapture float
Clearly over the farthest star.
For Him each note;
I think He smiles to hear afar
The innocent rapture float
Clearly over the farthest star.
My tardy dreamer wakes, to behold
A pageant wide,
Rose-hued banners waved fold on fold,
The sun and his good knights ride
Up the eastern Field of the Cloth of Gold!
A pageant wide,
Rose-hued banners waved fold on fold,
The sun and his good knights ride
Up the eastern Field of the Cloth of Gold!
Yea, with the dream tears wet, doth smile
For life so sweet,
And Summer seaward standing the while
Bathing her small fair feet,
And the green corn waving many a mile.
For life so sweet,
And Summer seaward standing the while
Bathing her small fair feet,
And the green corn waving many a mile.
For the faint flushed snow of the thorn in May,
And the thrush's glee,
And the whispering wood, that at high noon-day
Gleams like the heart of the sea,
And the golden laugh of a child at play.
And the thrush's glee,
And the whispering wood, that at high noon-day
Gleams like the heart of the sea,
And the golden laugh of a child at play.
10
The wind will touch like his sweetheart's kiss
His shining hair,
And the gold-grey meadow right pleasant is,
And O the wild rose fair,
And the blue blue eyes that are always his!
His shining hair,
And the gold-grey meadow right pleasant is,
And O the wild rose fair,
And the blue blue eyes that are always his!
To another dreamer cometh at night
A dream of grace,
And passeth thence in the morning light,
And lo! Pain takes its place
With set pale lips, and high brow, and white.
A dream of grace,
And passeth thence in the morning light,
And lo! Pain takes its place
With set pale lips, and high brow, and white.
The dreamer taketh him for a friend
For evermore;
Through the shadows the new ways wend,
And a burden passing sore
Burdens the shoulders that ache and bend.
For evermore;
Through the shadows the new ways wend,
And a burden passing sore
Burdens the shoulders that ache and bend.
A pale soul, stricken with sad surprise,
Whereto shall come
No joy for sake of a baby's eyes,
Forget-me-nots that bloom
In the King's garden of Paradise;
Whereto shall come
No joy for sake of a baby's eyes,
Forget-me-nots that bloom
In the King's garden of Paradise;
11
Nor a smile to hear in the orchard close
The blackbird's song,
When the boughs are flushing faintly to rose,
And April days are long,
And the world is white with the hawthorn snows.
The blackbird's song,
When the boughs are flushing faintly to rose,
And April days are long,
And the world is white with the hawthorn snows.
O long the way, but there comes a rest
At sweet Eventide!
When the wild glad birds have flown to the nest,
O the radiance, mild and wide,
The fair pale lights that wake in the west!
At sweet Eventide!
When the wild glad birds have flown to the nest,
O the radiance, mild and wide,
The fair pale lights that wake in the west!
There bloometh many a kindly flower
In the churchyard grass;
The silver feet of a summer shower
Will linger ere they pass;
“Hic Jacet” glimmers at evening hour.
In the churchyard grass;
The silver feet of a summer shower
Will linger ere they pass;
“Hic Jacet” glimmers at evening hour.
While one shall sleep, nor hearken o'erhead
To birds in May;
And on the heart where Pain lieth dead
The tired hands rest alway,
Surely a dream shall be perfected.
To birds in May;
And on the heart where Pain lieth dead
The tired hands rest alway,
Surely a dream shall be perfected.
12
Alas! that a human heart should break
For such as this,
Just from a bright false dream to wake,
For the loss of a phantom kiss.
Christ keep us all for His pity's sake!
For such as this,
Just from a bright false dream to wake,
For the loss of a phantom kiss.
Christ keep us all for His pity's sake!
| Louise de la Valliaere and other poems | |