 | Late songs |  |
57
PERSONALIA
59
THE DREAMS
When I am sleeping I go in dreams
Far from the children and the man beside,
I meet with the dead and talk, nor strange it seems,
Since I've forgotten that they ever died.
Far from the children and the man beside,
I meet with the dead and talk, nor strange it seems,
Since I've forgotten that they ever died.
They come in so quietly, the loved and lost.
There is so much to say in a short while.
Nowise strange it is that a dear ghost
Should be as the living and be glad and smile.
There is so much to say in a short while.
Nowise strange it is that a dear ghost
Should be as the living and be glad and smile.
In the old garden we go hand in hand.
When friends are long parted there is much to say,
Much to be explaining and to understand.
We walk in old gardens in a long-dead May.
When friends are long parted there is much to say,
Much to be explaining and to understand.
We walk in old gardens in a long-dead May.
Breasting the hill we go: we skirt the wheat,
By houses and gardens that once I knew.
All too fast the time goes when old friends meet.
Sure, I was starved for you, and you, and you!
By houses and gardens that once I knew.
All too fast the time goes when old friends meet.
Sure, I was starved for you, and you, and you!
60
Was I forgetting, then, the patient dead?
Mercy of mercies that in dreams they live!
They come seeking and finding me upon my bed.
In dreams they comfort me, in dreams forgive.
Mercy of mercies that in dreams they live!
They come seeking and finding me upon my bed.
In dreams they comfort me, in dreams forgive.
They come to me in my dreams, not cold and lone.
Oh, never sad ghosts they come to fret my sleep,
But just as I knew them in the days long gone.
When I wake from my dreams I wake to weep.
Oh, never sad ghosts they come to fret my sleep,
But just as I knew them in the days long gone.
When I wake from my dreams I wake to weep.
61
AFTER YEARS
I give God glory and grace
I am come home again
To the delightsome ways
And the wild soft rain.
Lights on the hill and plain
As in remembered days.
Now I am home again,
I give great praise.
I am come home again
To the delightsome ways
And the wild soft rain.
Lights on the hill and plain
As in remembered days.
Now I am home again,
I give great praise.
When I awake at dawn,
I hear the birdies sing;
Deep dews in field and lawn,
The mountains in a ring;
Life an enchanted thing,
The hour grey as a fawn;
I whisper thanksgiving
When I awake at dawn.
I hear the birdies sing;
Deep dews in field and lawn,
The mountains in a ring;
Life an enchanted thing,
The hour grey as a fawn;
I whisper thanksgiving
When I awake at dawn.
I seek no more the town,
Ah, wherefore should I go?
Hills to the sea look down,
The rivers softly flow.
With friends of long ago
Life has a golden crown,
In fields I used to know,
And meadows grey and brown.
Ah, wherefore should I go?
Hills to the sea look down,
The rivers softly flow.
62
Life has a golden crown,
In fields I used to know,
And meadows grey and brown.
And if the night be chill,
Of fuel I have great store;
We heap the fire until
The faggots leap and roar.
All my beloveds of yore
Of talk shall take their fill
Till the grey dawn's at the door
And the grey wind at the sill.
Of fuel I have great store;
We heap the fire until
The faggots leap and roar.
All my beloveds of yore
Of talk shall take their fill
Till the grey dawn's at the door
And the grey wind at the sill.
63
THE LITTLE OLD WOMAN
The Little Old Woman has found you at last,
The Little Old Woman who is born a Queen;
She stands and she rattles at the door long-fast:
Gladly it opes to her, and she steps in.
The Little Old Woman who is born a Queen;
She stands and she rattles at the door long-fast:
Gladly it opes to her, and she steps in.
The Little Old Woman is the World's Rose.
With the milk and the honey she comes again.
Were you forgetting her for These or Those?
The Little Old Woman has the hearts of men.
With the milk and the honey she comes again.
Were you forgetting her for These or Those?
The Little Old Woman has the hearts of men.
Under her tatters she is fair and young:
Sweetness of sweetness is her honey mouth;
Men have died for her to save her wrong;
Love been spilt for her through the long drouth.
Sweetness of sweetness is her honey mouth;
Men have died for her to save her wrong;
Love been spilt for her through the long drouth.
Were you forgetting her for These or Those?
Shall you forget her to the last heart-beat?
Dark Rose of Tenderness, and the One Rose
To turn Life bitter and to make Death sweet.
Shall you forget her to the last heart-beat?
Dark Rose of Tenderness, and the One Rose
To turn Life bitter and to make Death sweet.
64
SANCTUARIES
Thou givest me greenest sanctuaries
As the birds have the trees.
The birds have the trees and I
Deep shadow and blue sky,
A well of waters, a palm tree,
A bird and a bee.
As the birds have the trees.
The birds have the trees and I
Deep shadow and blue sky,
A well of waters, a palm tree,
A bird and a bee.
As though I were Thine only one
Thou makest for me alone
A hearth-fire in the wintry cold,
A walled city, a sweet fold,
A winged sentinel to tell
To the night: All's well!
Thou makest for me alone
A hearth-fire in the wintry cold,
A walled city, a sweet fold,
A winged sentinel to tell
To the night: All's well!
Thou spreadest over me and mine
The night a-shine
With strange and wonderful eyes of stars;
And weary of the day's wars
Into the nest of love we creep
And lie asleep.
The night a-shine
With strange and wonderful eyes of stars;
And weary of the day's wars
Into the nest of love we creep
And lie asleep.
65
Hearts are Thy sanctuaries: Thou hast set
Wide open a heart's gate
Where I come in and am at rest,
A bed for my heart, a nest,
Sure comfort, surplusage of love.
Thou givest enough!
Wide open a heart's gate
Where I come in and am at rest,
A bed for my heart, a nest,
Sure comfort, surplusage of love.
Thou givest enough!
Woods are Thy sanctuaries and all
Dear gardens musical,
And fields and groves where it may be
Thine angel walks with me.
Thine angel! Nay, but Thou dost walk
With me and talk.
Dear gardens musical,
And fields and groves where it may be
Thine angel walks with me.
Thine angel! Nay, but Thou dost walk
With me and talk.
66
AN ABIDING CITY
My city walls are builded sure
Whatever foes assail;
I go my ways in peace secure
As I were clad in mail.
Whatever foes assail;
I go my ways in peace secure
As I were clad in mail.
The Hand that holds me keeps me well,
'Twixt earth and heaven I rest.
Within that Hand in joy I dwell,
Without am sore distrest.
'Twixt earth and heaven I rest.
Within that Hand in joy I dwell,
Without am sore distrest.
Free from all cares this Hand doth hold
Poor folk that creep within.
Darkness and grief are turned to gold,
There's naught of soil or sin.
Poor folk that creep within.
Darkness and grief are turned to gold,
There's naught of soil or sin.
When dawn comes redly up like wine
It shines through Fingers five;
The Precious Blood was shed long-syne
To keep my soul alive.
It shines through Fingers five;
The Precious Blood was shed long-syne
To keep my soul alive.
67
Safe in that Hand nothing I dread,
No foe shall make me fear.
I who have roses for my bed
Soft as a bosom dear.
No foe shall make me fear.
I who have roses for my bed
Soft as a bosom dear.
My city walls are builded strong,
My sentries go in white,
The years long and the seasons long
Pass in a dream of light.
My sentries go in white,
The years long and the seasons long
Pass in a dream of light.
68
ANNIVERSARY
There were so many to pray for, O dear grey head,
Your day went out unnoted; but when I slept,
Tender and all-forgiving you came from the dead,
Came in my dreams to remind me of trysts unkept.
Your day went out unnoted; but when I slept,
Tender and all-forgiving you came from the dead,
Came in my dreams to remind me of trysts unkept.
Never a prayer was offered: no Mass was sung:
I thought day-long on the stranger in bitter need.
Into my dreams, my dear one, as when I was young,
You came and we clung together, O dear grey head.
I thought day-long on the stranger in bitter need.
Into my dreams, my dear one, as when I was young,
You came and we clung together, O dear grey head.
All night long it was parting, and parting soon—
All night long I was weeping, and weeping sore—
That was the loneliest parting under the moon,
When the day and the night together met at the door.
All night long I was weeping, and weeping sore—
That was the loneliest parting under the moon,
When the day and the night together met at the door.
Dear, but you had to travel so far to remind
Your daughter who went forgetting, ah, cold as the clay!
All night long you stayed with me, fond and kind;
All night long you grieved with me until the day.
Your daughter who went forgetting, ah, cold as the clay!
All night long you stayed with me, fond and kind;
All night long you grieved with me until the day.
69
THE LAST QUARREL
As I lay sleeping on my bed,
Before the dawn of day,
I dreamt my only Love was dead—
My only Love alway.
Before the dawn of day,
I dreamt my only Love was dead—
My only Love alway.
Oh, dreadful anguish of a dream,
Beyond all waking grief!
In all the darkness not a gleam,
Nor in the pang relief.
Beyond all waking grief!
In all the darkness not a gleam,
Nor in the pang relief.
Yet was I spared the sharpest sword,
And the fierce thrust thereof—
I had forgotten the last word
Wherewith I sped my Love.
And the fierce thrust thereof—
I had forgotten the last word
Wherewith I sped my Love.
70
THE TREE
Think of her when she shall be dead
As of a kindly tree
Within whose boughs some nests were made
For downy babes to be.
As of a kindly tree
Within whose boughs some nests were made
For downy babes to be.
Through sun and shade on the greensward
Her songs went up in praise
Who mused upon the forest's Lord
Through all her length of days.
Her songs went up in praise
Who mused upon the forest's Lord
Through all her length of days.
No king of woodland she, but just
A small tree, low and wide,
By which some faint from heat and dust
Sat down well satisfied.
A small tree, low and wide,
By which some faint from heat and dust
Sat down well satisfied.
Say that she had a well to keep
Where all might drink their fill,
Say that she comforted with sleep
The sorefoot traveller still.
Where all might drink their fill,
Say that she comforted with sleep
The sorefoot traveller still.
71
Say that the creatures came to graze,
And lay in pastures cool
Beside the pleasant water-ways,
And her content was full.
And lay in pastures cool
Beside the pleasant water-ways,
And her content was full.
Say that her pleasant maze of shade
Soothed the aching eyes
Like dew upon the heavy head
Under the throbbing skies.
Soothed the aching eyes
Like dew upon the heavy head
Under the throbbing skies.
Say that her birds were never far
But they came home again
And in her branches singing were
Despite the snow and rain.
But they came home again
And in her branches singing were
Despite the snow and rain.
Say that in Spring her boughs were green,
The joy ran in her blood,
That Summer clad her like a Queen
Under a velvet hood.
The joy ran in her blood,
That Summer clad her like a Queen
Under a velvet hood.
But say that when her Autumn came
Her best was yet to be:
She clad herself in gold and flame
Like to a Burning Tree.
Her best was yet to be:
She clad herself in gold and flame
Like to a Burning Tree.
72
Say that she feared no Winter white
In whose thin boughs did swing
The moon, the stars, for a lantern bright
To light the feet of Spring.
In whose thin boughs did swing
The moon, the stars, for a lantern bright
To light the feet of Spring.
Say that her head was never bowed
Though trouble might befall,
The bird in her heart sang low and loud
And made amends for all.
Though trouble might befall,
The bird in her heart sang low and loud
And made amends for all.
Say that in fine, her spring beside
She was merry and gave grace.
And some were sorry when she died
Who lost a resting place.
She was merry and gave grace.
And some were sorry when she died
Who lost a resting place.
| Late songs | |