Chamber Music | Page 4

way.
Shy thought and grave wide eyes and hands
That wander as they list
-- -
The twilight turns to darker blue
With lights of amethyst.
III
At that hour when all things have repose,
O lonely watcher of the
skies,
Do you hear the night wind and the sighs
Of harps playing
unto Love to unclose
The pale gates of sunrise?
When all things repose, do you alone
Awake to hear the sweet harps

play
To Love before him on his way,
And the night wind answering
in antiphon
Till night is overgone?
Play on, invisible harps, unto Love,
Whose way in heaven is aglow

At that hour when soft lights come and go,
Soft sweet music in the air
above
And in the earth below.
IV
When the shy star goes forth in heaven
All maidenly, disconsolate,

Hear you amid the drowsy even
One who is singing by your gate.

His song is softer than the dew
And he is come to visit you.
O bend no more in revery
When he at eventide is calling.
Nor muse:
Who may this singer be
Whose song about my heart is falling?

Know you by this, the lover's chant,
'Tis I that am your visitant.
V
Lean out of the window,
Goldenhair,
I hear you singing
A merry
air.
My book was closed,
I read no more,
Watching the fire dance
On
the floor.
I have left my book,
I have left my room,
For I heard you singing

Through the gloom.
Singing and singing
A merry air,
Lean out of the window,

Goldenhair.
VI
I would in that sweet bosom be
(O sweet it is and fair it is!)
Where
no rude wind might visit me.
Because of sad austerities
I would in
that sweet bosom be.

I would be ever in that heart
(O soft I knock and soft entreat her!)

Where only peace might be my part.
Austerities were all the sweeter

So I were ever in that heart.
VII
My love is in a light attire
Among the apple-trees,
Where the gay
winds do most desire
To run in companies.
There, where the gay winds stay to woo
The young leaves as they
pass,
My love goes slowly, bending to
Her shadow on the grass;
And where the sky's a pale blue cup
Over the laughing land,
My
love goes lightly, holding up
Her dress with dainty hand.
VIII
Who goes amid the green wood
With springtide all adorning her?

Who goes amid the merry green wood
To make it merrier?
Who passes in the sunlight
By ways that know the light footfall?

Who passes in the sweet sunlight
With mien so virginal?
The ways of all the woodland
Gleam with a soft and golden fire -- -

For whom does all the sunny woodland
Carry so brave attire?
O, it is for my true love
The woods their rich apparel wear -- -
O, it
is for my own true love,
That is so young and fair.
IX
Winds of May, that dance on the sea,
Dancing a ring-around in glee

From furrow to furrow, while overhead
The foam flies up to be
garlanded,
In silvery arches spanning the air,
Saw you my true love
anywhere?
Welladay! Welladay!
For the winds of May!
Love is
unhappy when love is away!

X
Bright cap and streamers,
He sings in the hollow:
Come follow,
come follow,
All you that love.
Leave dreams to the dreamers
That will not after,

That song and laughter
Do nothing move.
With ribbons streaming
He sings the bolder;
In troop at his shoulder
The wild bees hum.
And the time of dreaming
Dreams is over -- -

As lover to lover,
Sweetheart, I come.
XI
Bid adieu, adieu, adieu,
Bid adieu to girlish days,
Happy Love is
come to woo
Thee and woo thy girlish ways -- -
The zone that doth
become thee fair,
The snood upon thy yellow hair,
When thou hast heard his name upon
The bugles of the cherubim

Begin thou softly to unzone
Thy girlish bosom unto him
And softly
to undo the snood
That is the sign of maidenhood.
XII
What counsel has the hooded moon
Put in thy heart, my shyly sweet,

Of Love in ancient plenilune,
Glory and stars beneath his feet -- -

A sage that is but kith and kin
With the comedian Capuchin?
Believe me rather that am wise
In disregard of the divine,
A glory
kindles in those eyes
Trembles to starlight. Mine, O Mine!
No more
be tears in moon or mist
For thee, sweet sentimentalist.

XIII
Go seek her out all courteously,
And say I come,
Wind of spices
whose song is ever
Epithalamium.
O, hurry over the dark lands

And run upon the sea
For seas and lands shall not divide us
My
love and me.
Now, wind, of your good courtesy
I pray you go,
And come into
her little garden
And sing at her window;
Singing: The bridal wind
is blowing
For Love is at his noon;
And soon will your true love be
with you,
Soon, O soon.
XIV
My dove, my beautiful one,
Arise, arise!
The night-dew lies
Upon
my lips and eyes.
The odorous winds are weaving
A music of sighs:
Arise, arise,

My dove, my beautiful one!
I wait by the cedar tree,
My sister, my love,
White breast of the
dove,
My breast shall be your bed.
The pale dew lies
Like a veil on my head.
My fair one, my fair dove,

Arise, arise!
XV
From dewy dreams, my soul, arise,
From love's deep