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3
YOUTH AND AGE.
A DIALOGUE.
το γαρ νεαζον εν τοιοισδε βοσκεται
χωροισιν αυτου, και νιν ου θαλπος θεου,
ουδ' ομβρος, ουδε πνευματων ουδεν κλονει,
αλλ' ηδοναις αμοχθον εξαιρει βιον.
Sophocles, Trachiniæ, 144.
χωροισιν αυτου, και νιν ου θαλπος θεου,
ουδ' ομβρος, ουδε πνευματων ουδεν κλονει,
αλλ' ηδοναις αμοχθον εξαιρει βιον.
Sophocles, Trachiniæ, 144.
I. PART I.
AGE.
I tell you earth, and air, and sea
Are but one weary space for woe,
And it is only bliss to be
Above, or not to be below.
Are but one weary space for woe,
And it is only bliss to be
Above, or not to be below.
Without us, and within our breast,
Is human weakness, human sin:
And all in brightest semblance drest
Is dark, and foul, and false within.
Is human weakness, human sin:
And all in brightest semblance drest
Is dark, and foul, and false within.
4
My childhood's years are passing by;
Your words I do not know nor own:
Life has not taught me how to sigh,
But like a dream of light has flown.
Your words I do not know nor own:
Life has not taught me how to sigh,
But like a dream of light has flown.
The seasons, as they came and sped,
Brought but variety of joy:
Each year that went to join the dead
Left me a careless, happy boy.
Brought but variety of joy:
Each year that went to join the dead
Left me a careless, happy boy.
AGE.
Yet Spring upon her pinions bore
Sorrow to some, and toil to all;
And Debt was at the cottage door,
And Death was in the manor hall.
Sorrow to some, and toil to all;
And Debt was at the cottage door,
And Death was in the manor hall.
YOUTH.
To me, she came from Fairyland,
With gifts of youth to scatter here;
And bore a garment green and grand
To clothe the tattered, shivering year.
With gifts of youth to scatter here;
And bore a garment green and grand
To clothe the tattered, shivering year.
5
Queen Summer bade the sun to shine,
And I could make a nest of hay;
He did not seek the hills till nine,
But gave another hour to play.
And I could make a nest of hay;
He did not seek the hills till nine,
But gave another hour to play.
When Autumn came with sickle keen,
I've gathered nuts and gleaned the corn;
And homewards in the twilight been,
With shouting, on the waggon borne.
I've gathered nuts and gleaned the corn;
And homewards in the twilight been,
With shouting, on the waggon borne.
When Winter brought an icy rule,
And bade the northern winds to blow,
I slid across the frozen pool,
Or waged a mimic war of snow.
And bade the northern winds to blow,
I slid across the frozen pool,
Or waged a mimic war of snow.
And when the last late-lingering rays
Were gone, and darkness hid the day,
I played around the wintry blaze,
Or reading whiled the time away.
Were gone, and darkness hid the day,
I played around the wintry blaze,
Or reading whiled the time away.
6
A tale of love, a tale of war,
Would stay me in my wildest mirth;
And carried high in Fancy's car,
I left the sluggard air of earth.
Would stay me in my wildest mirth;
And carried high in Fancy's car,
I left the sluggard air of earth.
And reading of some knight of fame,
In tales of ages long gone by,
My spirit has been all on flame
To dare some deed of chivalry.
In tales of ages long gone by,
My spirit has been all on flame
To dare some deed of chivalry.
AGE.
Yet shortening days and leaflets brown
Brought Sorrow to the cottage nigh;
Fever had struck the reaper down,
And Famine bade the children die.
Brought Sorrow to the cottage nigh;
Fever had struck the reaper down,
And Famine bade the children die.
And Winter sent a ruthless blast
Where, scantly clothed and poorly fed,
The children o'er the common passed
To earn an aged mother bread.
Where, scantly clothed and poorly fed,
The children o'er the common passed
To earn an aged mother bread.
7
Yours are the hopes of boys and schools,
Unentered in the general strife:
Know Bliss is but the dream of fools,
And Sin and Care the truths of life.
Unentered in the general strife:
Know Bliss is but the dream of fools,
And Sin and Care the truths of life.
YOUTH.
I care not, stern and gloomy man:
Mine be my hopes, thy wisdom thine.
Man's made upon a happier plan,
As yonder sun was born to shine.
Mine be my hopes, thy wisdom thine.
Man's made upon a happier plan,
As yonder sun was born to shine.
For still I am a careless boy,
And little have I to regret;
And in my boyish cup of joy
The bitter is not mingled yet.
And little have I to regret;
And in my boyish cup of joy
The bitter is not mingled yet.
Nought know I of distress and tears,
Golden the prospect seems and fair:
Oh! shall I find in after years
The pleasure I have pictured there?
Golden the prospect seems and fair:
Oh! shall I find in after years
The pleasure I have pictured there?
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II. PART II.
AGE.
Since last we met in many a clime
I've scanned the war of knaves and fools;
And thou hast spent the selfsame time,
In thankless wisdom of the schools.
I've scanned the war of knaves and fools;
And thou hast spent the selfsame time,
In thankless wisdom of the schools.
Thy dreams were high and hopeful then,
And thou wouldst only see the sun,
And owl-like in the ways of men
Wert blind to all he shines upon.
And thou wouldst only see the sun,
And owl-like in the ways of men
Wert blind to all he shines upon.
Say, didst thou see thou wast beguiled,
And curse the vision that had been?
Or art thou still the simple child,
That loved the earth because 'twas green?
And curse the vision that had been?
Or art thou still the simple child,
That loved the earth because 'twas green?
9
One left the wide and gloomy place,
Where the chill sun looks seldom forth,
Where dwelt the fellows of his race,
The children of the barren north:
Where the chill sun looks seldom forth,
Where dwelt the fellows of his race,
The children of the barren north:
And travelled to the lands of light,
That break the heaven of southern seas;
And wandered satisfied with sight
Of lustrous birds and towering trees.
That break the heaven of southern seas;
And wandered satisfied with sight
Of lustrous birds and towering trees.
Yet there was death about the lake,
And death where winged enchantment leads;
Fierce creatures waited in the brake,
And Fever lurked among the reeds.
And death where winged enchantment leads;
Fierce creatures waited in the brake,
And Fever lurked among the reeds.
So, from the dark pre-natal tomb,
I woke to freedom and to change;
And wondering viewed my splendid home:
The chambers of the house were strange.
I woke to freedom and to change;
And wondering viewed my splendid home:
The chambers of the house were strange.
10
So, in a paradise of sense,
I wandered aimless, without course;
And watched the robin to the fence,
And scared the plover from the gorse.
I wandered aimless, without course;
And watched the robin to the fence,
And scared the plover from the gorse.
When, 'twixt my fairy earth and me,
You, grim mysterious shadow, rose
And spoke of ills I could not see,
And envied childhood its repose.
You, grim mysterious shadow, rose
And spoke of ills I could not see,
And envied childhood its repose.
AGE.
Being is not as Childhood dreams,
Nor yet as burning Youth believes;
Morn after morn immortal gleams,
And, faithless ever, still deceives.
Nor yet as burning Youth believes;
Morn after morn immortal gleams,
And, faithless ever, still deceives.
The fishers, credulous of doom,
Their cockles man and tempt the wave;
But wild the winds and fell the gloom
That thicken o'er their race's grave.
Their cockles man and tempt the wave;
But wild the winds and fell the gloom
That thicken o'er their race's grave.
11
One learns before his passions spring,
The things for which no Lethe flows,
The snares which God, well-named a king,
Lays for His subjects and His foes.
The things for which no Lethe flows,
The snares which God, well-named a king,
Lays for His subjects and His foes.
One drags his body from the mire,
And turns his mind to subtler ways,
The fool's remorse, the maniac's fire,
The wretch's hope of other days.
And turns his mind to subtler ways,
The fool's remorse, the maniac's fire,
The wretch's hope of other days.
And others strive to cure the spite
That's withered all our being thus;
And one in darkness, one in light
Confides and fights and fails for us.
That's withered all our being thus;
And one in darkness, one in light
Confides and fights and fails for us.
The tyrant sits and smiles the same,
The doomèd generations pass,
But never reach the lying flame
That beckons o'er the dark morass.
The doomèd generations pass,
But never reach the lying flame
That beckons o'er the dark morass.
12
The toy of chance, the slave of fools,
Vicissitudes of fate may know:
For us—malign Omniscience rules,
Creates and manages our woe.
Vicissitudes of fate may know:
For us—malign Omniscience rules,
Creates and manages our woe.
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