 | A Lost Epic and Other Poems |  |
52
THE LEGEND OF THE ARK.
I.—THE GREAT WITNESS.
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth. . . . And it repented the Lord that He had made man
on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the Lord
said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of
the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and
the fowls of the air.”
Lo! sixteen centuries had passed away!
When God drove forth the pair, they fell a prey
To darkness and the panic of the night.
On three sides crouched their dread. In front, a light—
A fire—a sword smote every way to keep
The Tree of Life. Their terror made them creep
Nearer the sword. They maddened to escape
The horror without hands and without shape
That lurked in nature, waiting them. The twain
Crept closer. 'Twere less dreadful to be slain
By that fierce splendour, in each other's sight,
Than perish in the vast unhuman night.
They lay beneath the sword; they felt the wind
It made.
When God drove forth the pair, they fell a prey
To darkness and the panic of the night.
On three sides crouched their dread. In front, a light—
A fire—a sword smote every way to keep
The Tree of Life. Their terror made them creep
Nearer the sword. They maddened to escape
The horror without hands and without shape
That lurked in nature, waiting them. The twain
Crept closer. 'Twere less dreadful to be slain
55
Than perish in the vast unhuman night.
They lay beneath the sword; they felt the wind
It made.
This Man and Woman were mankind.
The sword showed him the Woman's face, showed her
The Man's. They shrank apart. Their faces were
More fearful than the darkness, than the sword.
Then God in pity gave them fire; the Lord
Gave them the fire for solace and a stay.
When sixteen hundred years had passed away
The whole earth was fulfilled of evil and woe.
The Man and Woman wandered to and fro
In hordes and tribes and nations. They did eat
Of every beast and tree. The track of feet
Lay wide through polar snow and tropic sand.
No ocean beat on any utmost land
But some wild fisher watched the heaving blue.
Tribes thronged the sunset and the dawn. They knew
The glow of arctic and antarctic skies.
In savage lands they lived in wolfish wise.
56
Shelter for fire and slumber—and a grave.
Time changed them—colour and stature, hair and skin.
They knew not whence they came. They owned no kin.
The Man and Woman in them had forgot
All ancient days, the sad primeval lot,
The brotherhood of dust, the sword of fire.
Their god was hunger, and their law desire.
In ancient realms, from golden cities, bright
With lamps of revel, roared into the night
The orgies of the giants of the earth.
And men and beasts, by day, to make them mirth,
Slew and were slain. Their spearmen, early and late,
Drove virgin troops from every land to sate
The tigerish greed of their delirious lust.
The evil of their fame was blown, like dust—
A blinding drouth—through all the world's broad ways.
And they too had forgot the olden days,
The kinship of mankind, the sword of fire.
Their god was luxury, their law desire.
57
Were men in myriads. These were they who chased
The elephant and ostrich; they who fed
On marrow of lions on the watershed
Of mighty rivers; they who lived on canes
And locusts; they who roamed in sail-drawn wains
With flocks and herds, and made the heavens their fold;
And serpent-eaters, wearing coils of gold;
And fisher-folk, who slept on rafts of logs,
And throve on river-fish and milk of dogs;
And last, in regions green with sun and rain,
The husbandmen who planted roots and grain,
And dwelt in huts of water-reeds and mud.
And all these had forgot the brotherhood
Of man, the Garden days, the sword of fire.
Their god was turbulence, their law desire.
And now, when after sixteen hundred years,
Beneath the whole wide heaven men's blood and tears
58
And saw the violence that filled the earth,
The bloody worship and lascivious glee
Around the boulder and beneath the tree,
And all men's wickedness, it grieved the Lord
That He had made man's image. He abhorred
All flesh on earth, both man and creeping thing,
And every beast, and bird of every wing.
And God prepared the vengeance of His rain
To slay them, that all evil might be slain
And utterly destroyed before His face.
But Noah, who had walked with God, found grace—
Both Noah and his house.
Both Noah and his house.
And Noah hewed
Great trees within the forest, gopher-wood;
And mighty oxen travailed through the years
To draw the timber home.
Great trees within the forest, gopher-wood;
And mighty oxen travailed through the years
To draw the timber home.
In all men's ears
The fame of this and Noah's name made mirth.
The fame of this and Noah's name made mirth.
But lo! an ancient of the morn o' the earth—
Hoary as winter, imperishable as stone,
O'ershadowing as a cloud which all alone
Glooms half a realm for half a summer day—
Leaned on his spear, and watched his grandson lay
The Ark's foundations.
Hoary as winter, imperishable as stone,
O'ershadowing as a cloud which all alone
59
Leaned on his spear, and watched his grandson lay
The Ark's foundations.
This was that sublime
Presentment of humanity and time,
Methuselah—the living man, whose eyes
Had seen the living Adam. Centuries
And nations near the figure of his life
Were dwarfed to pigmy images.
Presentment of humanity and time,
Methuselah—the living man, whose eyes
Had seen the living Adam. Centuries
And nations near the figure of his life
Were dwarfed to pigmy images.
A strife
Of wrath and sorrow raged within his mind.
Of wrath and sorrow raged within his mind.
He felt himself the conscience of mankind—
God's evidence against man's evil. Lo!
Like God he knew if God were just or no.
His memory was an iron book wherein
Was graved a thousand years of human sin—
A thousand years of patience, mercy, love,
Outraged and scorned.
God's evidence against man's evil. Lo!
Like God he knew if God were just or no.
His memory was an iron book wherein
Was graved a thousand years of human sin—
A thousand years of patience, mercy, love,
Outraged and scorned.
“Ye clouds, grow great above;
Be swift, ye waters, to obey his nod;
Break, thou great deep, and rain, thou rain of God!”
Be swift, ye waters, to obey his nod;
Break, thou great deep, and rain, thou rain of God!”
60
Thus spoke he in his wrath, yet while he spoke,
The motherhood of Eve within him woke.
What man was he that he should curse the race
Her breasts had suckled!
The motherhood of Eve within him woke.
What man was he that he should curse the race
Her breasts had suckled!
Down his rugged face
The great tears of a world-wide pity ran.
All time and all good men in that one man
Seemed weeping.
The great tears of a world-wide pity ran.
All time and all good men in that one man
Seemed weeping.
Day by day for many years
That hoary Sorrow, gazing through his tears,
Watched the long toil, nor spoke to any one.
But when at last th' enormous work was done,
And all the Ark was wrought, on that same day
They saw the man's vast stature rock and sway,
Then fall his length. Without a cry or groan
He fell. He fell, as falleth some high stone
Pillared for worship as a god, and hurled
Headlong by God.
That hoary Sorrow, gazing through his tears,
Watched the long toil, nor spoke to any one.
But when at last th' enormous work was done,
And all the Ark was wrought, on that same day
They saw the man's vast stature rock and sway,
Then fall his length. Without a cry or groan
He fell. He fell, as falleth some high stone
Pillared for worship as a god, and hurled
Headlong by God.
God took him from a world
All evil ere the doom of evil burst.
One grief was spared him—he who had seen the first
Saw not the last o' the race no prayer could save.
The sons of Noah dug his giant grave.All evil ere the doom of evil burst.
One grief was spared him—he who had seen the first
Saw not the last o' the race no prayer could save.
61
II.—THE PENITENT.
“For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the
earth. . . . And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two
and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life: . . . and
the Lord shut him in.”
God shut him in.
If some great angel came
By night or day, in wind or cloud or flame;
Or God Himself leaned out of heaven to close
The refuge of the Ark—no mortal knows.
God shut him in. The Lord God sealed his door.
By night or day, in wind or cloud or flame;
Or God Himself leaned out of heaven to close
The refuge of the Ark—no mortal knows.
Whom God shuts in is safe for evermore.
For yet seven days did God the Lord restrain
The vengeance of the deep and of the rain.
There was a noise of viols in the earth,
Eating and drinking, pomp and bridal mirth,
And violence, and cries of captives sold,
And worshippings of stone and wood and gold.
Through all the golden cities, the unholy;
Through regions of broad rivers winding slowly;
To savage mountain-gorge and far-off strand
Strange rumours spread, how forth of every land,
From under every star and cloud, there came
Innumerable creatures—wild and tame,
Known and unnamable; hordes, flocks, flights, swarms;
An endless pageant of bewildering forms
And wondrous colours; monstrous and minute;
Grotesque, ferocious, lovely; beast and brute,
Bird, reptile, insect, mollusc; life in fur
And life in feather, leather, horny bur,
And shell, and hair, and scales.
Through regions of broad rivers winding slowly;
62
Strange rumours spread, how forth of every land,
From under every star and cloud, there came
Innumerable creatures—wild and tame,
Known and unnamable; hordes, flocks, flights, swarms;
An endless pageant of bewildering forms
And wondrous colours; monstrous and minute;
Grotesque, ferocious, lovely; beast and brute,
Bird, reptile, insect, mollusc; life in fur
And life in feather, leather, horny bur,
And shell, and hair, and scales.
For many days
Their myriad-marching clouded distant ways
With dust, and filled the land with hoarse wild sound.
Men marvelled; but of all not one was found
To read the portent or to heed the sign.
Their myriad-marching clouded distant ways
With dust, and filled the land with hoarse wild sound.
Men marvelled; but of all not one was found
To read the portent or to heed the sign.
But lust o' the eyes and frolic born of wine
Led forth one wanton rout to hear and see—
Princes and captains riding royally;
Lewd girls with tinkling feet and jewelled ears;
And singing-men; archers and men with spears;
And in the midst one Woman, tall and white—
Beautiful, wondrous—splendid as a light
On some black headland, when the sea-folk make
High beacons in the darkness for the sake
Of their sweet goddess-maid, the Moon.
Led forth one wanton rout to hear and see—
Princes and captains riding royally;
Lewd girls with tinkling feet and jewelled ears;
And singing-men; archers and men with spears;
63
Beautiful, wondrous—splendid as a light
On some black headland, when the sea-folk make
High beacons in the darkness for the sake
Of their sweet goddess-maid, the Moon.
Behold!
This was that mightiest Harlot of the old
Corrupted earth before the great Flood came.
Enchantment fell on those who heard her name;
Her eyes made mad; the breath of her desire
Was wild as wind, inexorable as fire.
Man knew no shame who gazed upon her face.
She broke the giants in the fierce embrace
Of her white limbs, laughing for amorousness.
The young men were as grapes beneath the press;
She crushed their youth, and flung the skins away.
This was that mightiest Harlot of the old
Corrupted earth before the great Flood came.
Enchantment fell on those who heard her name;
Her eyes made mad; the breath of her desire
Was wild as wind, inexorable as fire.
Man knew no shame who gazed upon her face.
She broke the giants in the fierce embrace
Of her white limbs, laughing for amorousness.
The young men were as grapes beneath the press;
She crushed their youth, and flung the skins away.
Laughing, she came with all that lewd array,
And stared with mocking eyes upon the Ark.
Around, the ancient woods were hushed and dark.
And stared with mocking eyes upon the Ark.
The Ark was closed. No cry of beast or bird
Was heard within. No stir, no sound was heard.
64
The stillness smote her heart. She called aloud
And bade them smite the Ark.
And bade them smite the Ark.
The soldier's spear
Thundered. Then all was still.
Thundered. Then all was still.
Deep awe and fear
Fell on the Woman's soul. They smote once more
And beat upon the walls and sealèd door.
But no one answered. Not a sound was heard.
The dark heavens whist. No leaf o' the forest stirred.
The Woman felt her limbs grow heavy as stone.Fell on the Woman's soul. They smote once more
And beat upon the walls and sealèd door.
But no one answered. Not a sound was heard.
The dark heavens whist. No leaf o' the forest stirred.
She bade her people leave her there alone.
She watched them go; with scared dilated eyes
She followed them beneath the lowering skies,
And saw them riding far across the land.
She turned and struck the door with trembling hand,
And listened trembling. “Man within,” she cried,
“Answer; I am alone.”
And listened trembling. “Man within,” she cried,
“Answer; I am alone.”
No voice replied.
Then plucked she from her brows the moon, and tore
Her dyed attire; and, beating on the door,
Shrieked: “Answer, answer, answer!”
65
Her dyed attire; and, beating on the door,
Shrieked: “Answer, answer, answer!”
All was still.
The awful silence made her being thrill.
She gathered dust and strewed it on her hair,
And, striking hands together in despair,
Shrieked: “Speak, ere terror blabs abroad my shame,
For dread hath seized on me.”
The awful silence made her being thrill.
She gathered dust and strewed it on her hair,
And, striking hands together in despair,
Shrieked: “Speak, ere terror blabs abroad my shame,
For dread hath seized on me.”
No answer came.
Then from the Woman rose a piercing cry:
“Hear, earth; ye heavens, hearken! here am I,
The world's great Harlot, who have snared and slain
The last old giants of the seed of Cain,
And reddened all my robes with youthful blood.
And now the Lord will chase me with His flood,
And hunt me as a beast; and though He spare
The beast, will spare not me, but clutch my hair,
And slay me without mercy for my sin!
66
But fear hath fallen upon me. Now I know
That anguish and unutterable woe
And sure destruction are at hand.”
No sound
Was heard, save bitter weeping on the ground,
Where, sobbing with her face among the dust,
The Harlot moaned: “The Lord is just—is just!”
Then spoke a voice, gentle, compassionate:
“Why weepest thou?”
“Because it is too late.”
“It never is too late to mourn for sin.”
“Then open.”
“Nay, the Lord hath shut me in.”
“Must I then perish?”
“Nay, thy flesh alone
Shall for thine evil in the flesh atone!”
67
Eating and drinking, pomp, and bridal mirth.
But day and night the Harlot, weeping sore,
Crouched in the dust before the sealèd door.
III.—THE VOICES.
“And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon
the earth; . . . and the mountains were covered. And all
flesh died, . . . and every man: . . . and Noah only
remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.”
The air was filled with sound of rain; the ground
With sound of water; and amid the sound
Were heard two awful Voices.
“Look!” one cried;
With sound of water; and amid the sound
Were heard two awful Voices.
“What see'st thou?”
68
“The smoke of tumbling waters; rain that smites
The waters into smoke.
The waters into smoke.
Upon the heights
Crowding and flight and tumult—beasts and men.”
Crowding and flight and tumult—beasts and men.”
“What is it thou canst see? Look forth again.”
“I see a marble temple, white and fair.
The black waves lash the steps. In mad despair
The priests are flinging to the roaring sea
Their gods of gold and silver. Now they flee;
They seek the clefts o' the rocks. They flee, they seek
Refuge from rocky cleft and rugged peak.
They howl with terror.”
The black waves lash the steps. In mad despair
The priests are flinging to the roaring sea
Their gods of gold and silver. Now they flee;
They seek the clefts o' the rocks. They flee, they seek
Refuge from rocky cleft and rugged peak.
They howl with terror.”
69
“Look yet forth again.
What see'st thou?”
What see'st thou?”
“A smoking crater; haggard men.
Each glares at each with red and wolfish eyes.
They cast their lots, for still the waters rise.”
Each glares at each with red and wolfish eyes.
They cast their lots, for still the waters rise.”
“Forbear; no more!”
“Now look. What see'st thou?”
“Lo!
A single summit, hoar with ice and snow;
No other land. The vast sea rolls beneath.
A tigress, with her cub between her teeth,
Stands on the summit panting, wild with fear.”
“Yet once again. What dost thou see or hear?”A single summit, hoar with ice and snow;
No other land. The vast sea rolls beneath.
A tigress, with her cub between her teeth,
Stands on the summit panting, wild with fear.”
70
“Drifting of giant clouds; encircling sea;
Great waves; a raft of tree made fast to tree;
Upon the raft a man.
Great waves; a raft of tree made fast to tree;
Upon the raft a man.
The man in rage
Hath gnawed his flesh his famine to assuage.”
“What doth the man?”Hath gnawed his flesh his famine to assuage.”
“He sits with covered head.”
“Is the man weeping?”
“Lord, the man is dead.”
“What see'st thou now?”
“Sky, sea; betwixt the twain,
The Ark.”
The Ark.”
71
“Doth any living thing remain?”
“Not one of all that Thou didst make of yore.”
The awful Voice responded: “Look no more!”
IV.—THE WATERS.
“And he sent forth a dove from him to see if the waters were
abated from off the face of the ground; but the dove found no
rest for the sole of her foot.”
Around the globe one wave, from pole to pole,
Rolled on, and found no shore to break its roll.
One awful water mirrored everywhere
The silent, blue, illimitable air;
And glassed at one same hour the midnight moon,
Sunrise, and sunset, and the sun at noon.
Rolled on, and found no shore to break its roll.
One awful water mirrored everywhere
The silent, blue, illimitable air;
And glassed at one same hour the midnight moon,
Sunrise, and sunset, and the sun at noon.
Beneath the noontide sun 'twas still as death.
Within the dawn no living thing drew breath.
Beneath the cold white moon the cold blue wave
Sealed with an icy hush the old world's grave.
But, hark! upon the sunset's edge were heard,
Afar and faint, the cries of beast and bird.
Within the dawn no living thing drew breath.
Beneath the cold white moon the cold blue wave
Sealed with an icy hush the old world's grave.
72
Afar and faint, the cries of beast and bird.
Afar, between the sunset and the dark,
The lions had awakened in the Ark.
Across the great red splendour white wings flew,
Weary of wandering where no green leaf grew;
Weary of searching for that unfound shore
From which the Raven had returned no more.
The lions had awakened in the Ark.
Across the great red splendour white wings flew,
Weary of wandering where no green leaf grew;
Weary of searching for that unfound shore
From which the Raven had returned no more.
And as the white wings laboured slowly back,
And down the huge orb sank, a speck of black
Stood fluttering in the circle of the sun,—
While the long billows, passing one by one,
Lifted and lowered in the crimson blaze
A dead queen of the old and evil days.
And down the huge orb sank, a speck of black
Stood fluttering in the circle of the sun,—
While the long billows, passing one by one,
Lifted and lowered in the crimson blaze
A dead queen of the old and evil days.
One gold-clasped arm lay beautiful and bare;
The gold of power gleamed in her floating hair;
Her jewelled raiment in the glassy swell
Glittered; and ever as she rose and fell,
And o'er his reddened claws the ripple broke,
The Raven fluttered with uneasy croak.
The gold of power gleamed in her floating hair;
Her jewelled raiment in the glassy swell
Glittered; and ever as she rose and fell,
And o'er his reddened claws the ripple broke,
The Raven fluttered with uneasy croak.
| A Lost Epic and Other Poems | |