 | The Collected Poems of Lord De Tabley |  |
ON A QUEEN'S PALACE IN RUINS
Daughter of the silver foam,
Show me now thy ruined shell!
Here was once thy radiant home,
Here thy palace citadel,
Show me now thy ruined shell!
Here was once thy radiant home,
Here thy palace citadel,
Glorious on thy brow with pride:
Gleaming limbs of rosy hue;
Naked breasts too fair to hide,
Sweet as asphodelian dew.
Gleaming limbs of rosy hue;
Naked breasts too fair to hide,
Sweet as asphodelian dew.
Mighty captains came and quaffed
Deep the cups of thy desire,
Kings sat at thy feet and laughed:
Cupid watched and fanned the fire.
Deep the cups of thy desire,
Kings sat at thy feet and laughed:
Cupid watched and fanned the fire.
Time went merrily, my queen,
As a god they held thee then,
Ruling with disdainful mien
Circe-like thy droves of men.
As a god they held thee then,
Ruling with disdainful mien
Circe-like thy droves of men.
Like a sunset flashing gems,
Fair thy orient couch was spread;
But to kiss thy garment-hems
Drave thy lovers well-nigh dead.
Fair thy orient couch was spread;
But to kiss thy garment-hems
Drave thy lovers well-nigh dead.
437
Lying there, as Danäe lay
Crushed in rain of rushing gold,
When the god's resistless way
In treasure on her bosom rolled;
Crushed in rain of rushing gold,
When the god's resistless way
In treasure on her bosom rolled;
Like wan leaves in crisping bowers
Spreads thy wilderness of hair,
Near the faces of the flowers
Where thy regal footsteps were,—
Spreads thy wilderness of hair,
Near the faces of the flowers
Where thy regal footsteps were,—
Hair that drank the light and noon
With its multitude of threads;
Thou wast as an amber moon
Which a cloud-fleece round her sheds.
With its multitude of threads;
Thou wast as an amber moon
Which a cloud-fleece round her sheds.
Thou wast like a daffodil
Wreathed in veils of misty dawn,
When thy women at thy will
Wrapt thy limbs in gold and lawn,
Wreathed in veils of misty dawn,
When thy women at thy will
Wrapt thy limbs in gold and lawn,
Underneath the gray wych elms,
By the sobbing hungry sea.
Voyaging to twilight realms
Crowding sail for love of thee,
By the sobbing hungry sea.
Voyaging to twilight realms
Crowding sail for love of thee,
As a heron with hoarse cries,
Came their white keels cleaving on,—
As thro' clear meridian skies
Southward sweeps the soaring swan.
Came their white keels cleaving on,—
As thro' clear meridian skies
Southward sweeps the soaring swan.
Pirate kings that loved the brine,
Helmed with dragons o'er their brows,
Pledged thee in enchanted wine,
Sweeter than their northern spouse.
Helmed with dragons o'er their brows,
Pledged thee in enchanted wine,
Sweeter than their northern spouse.
But thy feasting hall is gone,
And thy lovers quaff no more,
And the boats that bore them on
Rot on some sequestered shore.
And thy lovers quaff no more,
And the boats that bore them on
Rot on some sequestered shore.
438
All thy rippling tresses rust,
Silent are thy dove replies,
And immeasurable dust
Stains the glory of thine eyes.
Silent are thy dove replies,
And immeasurable dust
Stains the glory of thine eyes.
Daughter of the ocean foam,
Broken is thy beauty's spell,
Fallen is thy golden home,
Ruined all thy citadel!
Broken is thy beauty's spell,
Fallen is thy golden home,
Ruined all thy citadel!
| The Collected Poems of Lord De Tabley | |