Studies in Song | Page 5

all tears he saw men weep,
Arose to take man's part?His loving lion heart,?Kind as the sun's that has in charge to keep
Earth and the seed thereof?Safe in his lordly love,?Strong as sheer truth and soft as very sleep;?The mightiest heart since Milton's leapt,?The gentlest since the gentlest heart of Shakespeare slept.
23.
Like the wind's own on her divided sea?His song arose on Corinth, and aloud?Recalled her Isthmian song and strife when she?Was thronged with glories as with gods in crowd?And as the wind's own spirit her breath was free?And as the heaven's own heart her soul was proud,?But freer and prouder stood no son than he?Of all she bare before her heart was bowed;
None higher than he who heard?Medea's keen last word?Transpierce her traitor, and like a rushing cloud
That sundering shows a star?Saw pass her thunderous car?And a face whiter and deadlier than a shroud?That lightened from it, and the brand?Of tender blood that falling seared his suppliant hand.
24.
More fair than all things born and slain of fate,?More glorious than all births of days and nights,?He bade the spirit of man regenerate,?Rekindling, rise and reassume the rights?That in high seasons of his old estate?Clothed him and armed with majesties and mights?Heroic, when the times and hearts were great?And in the depths of ages rose the heights
Radiant of high deeds done?And souls that matched the sun?For splendour with the lightnings of their lights
Whence even their uttered names?Burn like the strong twin flames?Of song that shakes a throne and steel that smites;?As on Thermopyl? when shone?Leonidas, on Syracuse Timoleon.
25.
Or, sweeter than the breathless buds when spring?With smiles and tears and kisses bids them breathe,?Fell with its music from his quiring string?Fragrance of pine-leaves and odorous heath?Twined round the lute whereto he sighed to sing?Of the oak that screened and showed its maid beneath,?Who seeing her bee crawl back with broken wing?Faded, a fairer flower than all her wreath,
And paler, though her oak?Stood scathless of the stroke?More sharp than edge of axe or wolfish teeth,
That mixed with mortals dead?Her own half heavenly head?And life incorporate with a sylvan sheath,?And left the wild rose and the dove?A secret place and sacred from all guests but Love.
26.
But in the sweet clear fields beyond the river?Dividing pain from peace and man from shade?He saw the wings that there no longer quiver?Sink of the hours whose parting footfalls fade?On ears which hear the rustling amaranth shiver?With sweeter sound of wind than ever made?Music on earth: departing, they deliver?The soul that shame or wrath or sorrow swayed;
And round the king of men?Clash the clear arms again,?Clear of all soil and bright as laurel braid,
That rang less high for joy?Through the gates fallen of Troy?Than here to hail the sacrificial maid,?Iphigeneia, when the ford?Fast-flowing of sorrows brought her father and their lord.
27.
And in the clear gulf of the hollow sea?He saw light glimmering through the grave green gloom?That hardly gave the sun's eye leave to see?Cymodameia; but nor tower nor tomb,?No tower on earth, no tomb of waves may be,?That may not sometime by diviner doom?Be plain and pervious to the poet; he?Bids time stand back from him and fate make room
For passage of his feet,?Strong as their own are fleet,?And yield the prey no years may reassume
Through all their clamorous track,?Nor night nor day win back?Nor give to darkness what his eyes illume?And his lips bless for ever: he?Knows what earth knows not, sings truth sung not of the sea.
28.
Before the sentence of a curule chair?More sacred than the Roman, rose and stood?To take their several doom the imperial pair?Diversely born of Venus, and in mood?Diverse as their one mother, and as fair,?Though like two stars contrasted, and as good,?Though different as dark eyes from golden hair;?One as that iron planet red like blood
That bears among the stars?Fierce witness of her Mars?In bitter fire by her sweet light subdued;
One, in the gentler skies?Sweet as her amorous eyes:?One proud of worlds and seas and darkness rude?Composed and conquered; one content?With lightnings from loved eyes of lovers lightly sent.
29.
And where Alpheus and where Ladon ran?Radiant, by many a rushy and rippling cove?More known to glance of god than wandering man,?He sang the strife of strengths divine that strove,?Unequal, one with other, for a span,?Who should be friends for ever in heaven above?And here on pastoral earth: Arcadian Pan,?And the awless lord of kings and shepherds, Love:
All the sweet strife and strange?With fervid counterchange?Till one fierce wail through many a glade and grove
Rang, and its breath made shiver?The reeds of many a river,?And the warm airs waxed wintry that it clove,?Keen-edged as ice-retempered brand;?Nor might god's hurt find healing save of godlike hand.
30.
As when the jarring gates of thunder ope?Like earthquake felt in heaven, so dire a cry,?So fearful and so fierce--'Give the sword scope!'--?Rang from a daughter's lips, darkening the sky?To