 | Lyra Pastoralis |  |
Wood-Music
(REDDITCH)
In the green heart of a wood
Peaceful and alone I stood,
Drinking in each liquid note
Of the blackbird's loosened throat,
With the mingled minstrelsy
Of the songs from over sea:
Marking every shade of green
In the unfurling foliage seen—
For each bird a fresh hue sent
In a leafy blandishment.
Or with happy downward eye
Counting all the stars that lie—
Stars of earth, with varied rays,
In the hazel-shaded ways—
Violets on a mossy floor,
Primrose with its golden ore,
Hyacinths in sheets of blue
Rivalling the heaven's own hue.
Peaceful and alone I stood,
Drinking in each liquid note
Of the blackbird's loosened throat,
With the mingled minstrelsy
Of the songs from over sea:
112
In the unfurling foliage seen—
For each bird a fresh hue sent
In a leafy blandishment.
Or with happy downward eye
Counting all the stars that lie—
Stars of earth, with varied rays,
In the hazel-shaded ways—
Violets on a mossy floor,
Primrose with its golden ore,
Hyacinths in sheets of blue
Rivalling the heaven's own hue.
Thoughtful as I moved along
Lo, I heard the sovereign song
Of the laureate of the wood
Thrilling every leaf and bud,
Flower below and branch on high,
With a sudden ecstasy.
Then thanks blossomed out of thought,
All my heart to music wrought;
Soul and tongue to praise awoke,
Into song my glory broke;
And I blessed the God who made
Bird and flower and leafy shade,
Till I felt my voice prevail
O'er the crownèd nightingale!
Lo, I heard the sovereign song
Of the laureate of the wood
Thrilling every leaf and bud,
Flower below and branch on high,
With a sudden ecstasy.
Then thanks blossomed out of thought,
All my heart to music wrought;
Soul and tongue to praise awoke,
Into song my glory broke;
And I blessed the God who made
Bird and flower and leafy shade,
Till I felt my voice prevail
O'er the crownèd nightingale!
| Lyra Pastoralis | |