Poems By William Walsham How ... New and Enlarged Edition |
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Spring Ride.
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32
Spring Ride.
(LEATON KNOLLS, NEAR SHREWSBURY.)
O sister, 'twas so sweet a time,
Our ride of yesterday,
I needs must turn it into rhyme,
Lest all should fade away.
Our ride of yesterday,
I needs must turn it into rhyme,
Lest all should fade away.
And it may be a pleasant thing,
When colder-hearted grown,
To catch a faint re-echoing
Of feelings that are flown.
When colder-hearted grown,
To catch a faint re-echoing
Of feelings that are flown.
'Twas after show'rs of gentle rain
Had past across the sky,
And cleared the vapours from the plain,
And brought the distance nigh;
Had past across the sky,
And cleared the vapours from the plain,
And brought the distance nigh;
On one of those soft days ere yet
The woodbine leaves unfold,
While garden-plots are thickly set
With aconites of gold;
The woodbine leaves unfold,
While garden-plots are thickly set
With aconites of gold;
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We rode out in a fitting mood
A joyous heart to win,
And all the outward springing wooed
The joyousness within.
A joyous heart to win,
And all the outward springing wooed
The joyousness within.
We rode between the meadow-lands,
And many a gleaming sheet
Of red earth shot with greenest bands
Of early-growing wheat:
And many a gleaming sheet
Of red earth shot with greenest bands
Of early-growing wheat:
We heard the thrush's wild rich song
Full of the bursting Spring,
We saw the tree-buds all along
In soft light glimmering:
Full of the bursting Spring,
We saw the tree-buds all along
In soft light glimmering:
Until we reached that fairest spot
Where, opening out between,
On either side a lonely knot
Of fir-trees dark and green
Where, opening out between,
On either side a lonely knot
Of fir-trees dark and green
Stood out into the depth of sky
Like night against its blue,
A mighty frame of ebony
For all the glorious view.
Like night against its blue,
A mighty frame of ebony
For all the glorious view.
And thro' the grassy hollow there
The woodlands golden-brown
With curving slopes dipt onward where
The river runneth down.
The woodlands golden-brown
With curving slopes dipt onward where
The river runneth down.
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And all the wide plain darkly clear
Was thronged with richest hues,
One tint could not be added there,
One tint we could not lose.
Was thronged with richest hues,
One tint could not be added there,
One tint we could not lose.
The clouds were clustered overhead,
And but a single gleam
Fringed the tree-tops with softest red
Above the river's stream.
And but a single gleam
Fringed the tree-tops with softest red
Above the river's stream.
But oh! I would that I could paint
The glories far away,
Where with excess of brightness faint
The mountain-ranges lay;
The glories far away,
Where with excess of brightness faint
The mountain-ranges lay;
The foremost dark with shades distinct,
The hindmost drowned in light,
Range after range in grandeur linked
Alternate dark and bright!
The hindmost drowned in light,
Range after range in grandeur linked
Alternate dark and bright!
It seemed as tho' the mountain-piles
That crowned the farthest West,
Scarce hid those fabled happy isles
With cloudless sunshine blest.
That crowned the farthest West,
Scarce hid those fabled happy isles
With cloudless sunshine blest.
Oh would I might to other's eye
That close-writ page unroll,
Whose everlasting memory
I drink into my soul;
That close-writ page unroll,
Whose everlasting memory
I drink into my soul;
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Whose influence thro' smiles and tears
Shall last as it began;
A happiness for after years,
A new part of the man!
Shall last as it began;
A happiness for after years,
A new part of the man!
(1848.)
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