A Century of Roundels Part 7

Love's twilight wanes in heaven above, On earth ere twilight reigns: Ere fear may feel the chill thereof, Love's twilight wanes.

Ere yet the insatiate heart complains 'Too much, and scarce enough,'

The lip so late athirst refrains.

Soft on the neck of either dove Love's hands let slip the reins: And while we look for light of love Love's twilight wanes.

A SINGING LESSON

Far-fetched and dear-bought, as the proverb rehea.r.s.es, Is good, or was held so, for ladies: but nought In a song can be good if the turn of the verse is Far-fetched and dear-bought.

As the turn of a wave should it sound, and the thought Ring smooth, and as light as the spray that disperses Be the gleam of the words for the garb thereof wrought.

Let the soul in it s.h.i.+ne through the sound as it pierces Men's hearts with possession of music unsought; For the bounties of song are no jealous G.o.d's mercies, Far-fetched and dear-bought.

FLOWER-PIECES

I.--LOVE LIES BLEEDING

Love lies bleeding in the bed whereover Roses lean with smiling mouths or pleading: Earth lies laughing where the sun's dart clove her: Love lies bleeding.

Stately s.h.i.+ne his purple plumes, exceeding Pride of princes: nor shall maid or lover Find on earth a fairer sign worth heeding.

Yet may love, sore wounded scarce recover Strength and spirit again, with life receding: Hope and joy, wind-winged, about him hover: Love lies bleeding.

II.--LOVE IN A MIST

Light love in a mist, by the midsummer moon misguided, Scarce seen in the twilight garden if gloom insist, Seems vainly to seek for a star whose gleam has derided Light love in a mist.

All day in the sun, when the breezes do all they list, His soft blue raiment of cloudlike blossom abided Unrent and unwithered of winds and of rays that kissed.

Blithe-hearted or sad, as the cloud or the sun subsided, Love smiled in the flower with a meaning whereof none wist Save two that beheld, as a gleam that before them glided, Light love in a mist.

THREE FACES

I.--VENTIMIGLIA

The sky and sea glared hard and bright and blank: Down the one steep street, with slow steps firm and free, A tall girl paced, with eyes too proud to thank The sky and sea.

One dead flat sapphire, void of wrath or glee, Through bay on bay shone blind from bank to bank The weary Mediterranean, drear to see.

More deep, more living, shone her eyes that drank The breathless light and shed again on me, Till pale before their splendour waned and shrank The sky and sea.

II.--GENOA

Again the same strange might of eyes, that saw In heaven and earth nought fairer, overcame My sight with rapture of reiterate awe, Again the same.

The self-same pulse of wonder shook like flame The spirit of sense within me: what strange law Had bid this be, for blessing or for blame?

To what veiled end that fate or chance foresaw Came forth this second sister face, that came Absolute, perfect, fair without a flaw, Again the same?

III.--VENICE

Out of the dark pure twilight, where the stream Flows glimmering, streaked by many a birdlike bark That skims the gloom whence towers and bridges gleam Out of the dark,

Once more a face no glance might choose but mark Shone pale and bright, with eyes whose deep slow beam Made quick the twilight, lifeless else and stark.

The same it seemed, or mystery made it seem, As those before beholden; but St. Mark Ruled here the ways that showed it like a dream Out of the dark.

EROS

I.

Eros, from rest in isles far-famed, With rising Anthesterion rose, And all h.e.l.lenic heights acclaimed Eros.

The sea one pearl, the sh.o.r.e one rose, All round him all the flower-month flamed And lightened, laughing off repose.

Earth's heart, sublime and unashamed, Knew, even perchance as man's heart knows, The thirst of all men's nature named Eros.

II.

Eros, a fire of heart untamed, A light of spirit in sense that glows, Flamed heavenward still ere earth defamed Eros.

Nor fear nor shame durst curb or close His golden G.o.dhead, marred and maimed, Fast round with bonds that burnt and froze.

Ere evil faith struck blind and lamed Love, pure as fire or flowers or snows, Earth hailed as blameless and unblamed Eros.

III.

Eros, with shafts by thousands aimed At laughing lovers round in rows, Fades from their sight whose tongues proclaimed Eros.