The collected poems of Arthur Edward Waite in two volumes ... With a Portrait |
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 | The collected poems of Arthur Edward Waite |  |
IN THOSE HEIGHTS
If sadness habit in the solitude
And loneness in the uplifted height;
Stars beyond stars shew light
Where few intrude.
And loneness in the uplifted height;
Stars beyond stars shew light
Where few intrude.
Who knoweth the rapture of exalted thought—
Beyond all covenant of speech—
Where thou art first to reach,
Of thy soul taught?
Beyond all covenant of speech—
Where thou art first to reach,
Of thy soul taught?
And wouldst thou forfeit freedom to explore
Those realms terrific and unknown,
Because thou goest alone
For evermore?
Those realms terrific and unknown,
Because thou goest alone
For evermore?
Disconsolate perchance, yet firm, ascend;
Thou hast eternity to gain;
The infinite domain—
That is thine end.
Thou hast eternity to gain;
The infinite domain—
That is thine end.
It lies above thee, spotless, cold, serene
And piercing as a polar wind,
But thou must quit—to find—
Seen for unseen.
And piercing as a polar wind,
But thou must quit—to find—
Seen for unseen.
119
Dissemble not the joy of this great quest;
Yet know that all of earthly bliss
Thou hast agreed to miss,
All human rest.
Yet know that all of earthly bliss
Thou hast agreed to miss,
All human rest.
What others prize, on that thou dost not reckon,
What others mean is nought to thee;
But hopes they dare not see
Rise up and beckon.
What others mean is nought to thee;
But hopes they dare not see
Rise up and beckon.
Believe not thou that sense—through all repining—
Shall yearn like soul to share, withdrawn,
That light other than dawn
So far off shining.
Shall yearn like soul to share, withdrawn,
That light other than dawn
So far off shining.
The simple ministry of sense is dead;
No surface meanings Nature shews;
But secrets none disclose
By thee are read.
No surface meanings Nature shews;
But secrets none disclose
By thee are read.
All things are merged into the sense unspoken,
And up through depths their prize concealing
A dim third sense, appealing,
Sends sign and token.
And up through depths their prize concealing
A dim third sense, appealing,
Sends sign and token.
It lies with thine own will to penetrate
Still further in that daring field;
What shall the seventh sense yield?
O gorgeous state!
Still further in that daring field;
What shall the seventh sense yield?
O gorgeous state!
Seventh sense, the Sabbath of far-cleaving soul—
When all the shining seas are travell'd,
And all the maze-drawn paths unravell'd—
Be thou our goal!
When all the shining seas are travell'd,
And all the maze-drawn paths unravell'd—
Be thou our goal!
120
O sevenfold Cosmos, to the sevenfold man
Responding, set thy veils aside;
Thine inner self confide,
Thy deep-drawn plan!
Responding, set thy veils aside;
Thine inner self confide,
Thy deep-drawn plan!
Have we not follow'd in the height and deep
The uttermost abstruse invention
Of thy withheld intention,
Waking, asleep?
The uttermost abstruse invention
Of thy withheld intention,
Waking, asleep?
Thou know'st, because the outward sense is dumb,
Sight does not satiate the eye,
Nor hearing satisfy,
Nor comfort come.
Sight does not satiate the eye,
Nor hearing satisfy,
Nor comfort come.
So through the pageant of this world we move
Demanding ever stronger spells,
Thy greater oracles
To search, to prove.
Demanding ever stronger spells,
Thy greater oracles
To search, to prove.
And if, when weaker sentiments invade,
The rigours of our wintry course,
Abstention and divorce,
Make hearts afraid—
The rigours of our wintry course,
Abstention and divorce,
Make hearts afraid—
O then be with us and about us then,
And laying bare thine inmost heart,
Make us, when far apart,
Dispense with men!
And laying bare thine inmost heart,
Make us, when far apart,
Dispense with men!
So shall we not life's outward semblance ask
When face to face with thy true being,
Who know—beyond all seeing—
What seen things mask.
When face to face with thy true being,
Who know—beyond all seeing—
What seen things mask.
121
The wise are lone amidst the concourse loud;
And we, who scan thy mystic pages,
More lone midst all the sages
Than they in crowd:
And we, who scan thy mystic pages,
More lone midst all the sages
Than they in crowd:
Alone translated to Olympian places,
Because—if adorations mount
Past common worship's fount—
Shine no gods' faces.
Because—if adorations mount
Past common worship's fount—
Shine no gods' faces.
To simple sense, whom signs alone concern,
This world her sacraments dispenses,
But oft starves out the senses
Which signs discern.
This world her sacraments dispenses,
But oft starves out the senses
Which signs discern.
On simple souls the Church confers communion,
But him who antitype descries,
And type as type, denies
Her rites, her union.
But him who antitype descries,
And type as type, denies
Her rites, her union.
Therefore be with us—as thou canst defending;
Light through thine echoing halls; we are,
Beyond these regions, far
Call'd and ascending!
Light through thine echoing halls; we are,
Beyond these regions, far
Call'd and ascending!
| The collected poems of Arthur Edward Waite | |