SWEENEY AMONG THENIGHTINGALES
ὤμοι, πέπληγμαι καιρίαν πγελὴν ἔσω
WHY SHOULD I SPEAK OF THE NIGHTINGALE?
THE NIGHTINGALE SINGS OF ADULTEROUS WRONG.
ApeneckSweeney spreads his kneesLetting his arms hang down to laugh,The zebra stripes along his jawSwelling to maculate giraffe.The circles of the stormy moonSlide westward to the River Plate,Death and the Raven drift aboveAnd Sweeney guards the horned gate.Gloomy Orion and the DogAre veiled; and hushed the shrunken seas;The person in the Spanish capeTries to sit on Sweeney’s kneesSlips and pulls the table clothOverturns a coffee cup,Reorganised upon the floorShe yawns and draws a stocking up;The silent man in mocha brownSprawls at the window sill and gapes;The waiter brings in oranges,Bananas, figs and hot-house grapes;The silent vertebrate exhales,Contracts and concentrates, withdraws;Rachel née RabinovitchTears at the grapes with murderous paws;She and the lady in the capeAre suspect, thought to be in league;Therefore the man with heavy eyesDeclines the gambit, shows fatigue,Leaves the room and reappearsOutside the window, leaning in,Branches of wistariaCircumscribe a golden grin;The host with someone indistinctConverses at the door apart,The nightingales are singing nearThe convent of the Sacred Heart,And sang within the bloody woodWhen Agamemnon cried aloudAnd let their liquid siftings fallTo stain the stiff dishonoured shroud.
ApeneckSweeney spreads his kneesLetting his arms hang down to laugh,The zebra stripes along his jawSwelling to maculate giraffe.The circles of the stormy moonSlide westward to the River Plate,Death and the Raven drift aboveAnd Sweeney guards the horned gate.Gloomy Orion and the DogAre veiled; and hushed the shrunken seas;The person in the Spanish capeTries to sit on Sweeney’s kneesSlips and pulls the table clothOverturns a coffee cup,Reorganised upon the floorShe yawns and draws a stocking up;The silent man in mocha brownSprawls at the window sill and gapes;The waiter brings in oranges,Bananas, figs and hot-house grapes;The silent vertebrate exhales,Contracts and concentrates, withdraws;Rachel née RabinovitchTears at the grapes with murderous paws;She and the lady in the capeAre suspect, thought to be in league;Therefore the man with heavy eyesDeclines the gambit, shows fatigue,Leaves the room and reappearsOutside the window, leaning in,Branches of wistariaCircumscribe a golden grin;The host with someone indistinctConverses at the door apart,The nightingales are singing nearThe convent of the Sacred Heart,And sang within the bloody woodWhen Agamemnon cried aloudAnd let their liquid siftings fallTo stain the stiff dishonoured shroud.
ApeneckSweeney spreads his kneesLetting his arms hang down to laugh,The zebra stripes along his jawSwelling to maculate giraffe.
ApeneckSweeney spreads his knees
Letting his arms hang down to laugh,
The zebra stripes along his jaw
Swelling to maculate giraffe.
The circles of the stormy moonSlide westward to the River Plate,Death and the Raven drift aboveAnd Sweeney guards the horned gate.
The circles of the stormy moon
Slide westward to the River Plate,
Death and the Raven drift above
And Sweeney guards the horned gate.
Gloomy Orion and the DogAre veiled; and hushed the shrunken seas;The person in the Spanish capeTries to sit on Sweeney’s knees
Gloomy Orion and the Dog
Are veiled; and hushed the shrunken seas;
The person in the Spanish cape
Tries to sit on Sweeney’s knees
Slips and pulls the table clothOverturns a coffee cup,Reorganised upon the floorShe yawns and draws a stocking up;
Slips and pulls the table cloth
Overturns a coffee cup,
Reorganised upon the floor
She yawns and draws a stocking up;
The silent man in mocha brownSprawls at the window sill and gapes;The waiter brings in oranges,Bananas, figs and hot-house grapes;
The silent man in mocha brown
Sprawls at the window sill and gapes;
The waiter brings in oranges,
Bananas, figs and hot-house grapes;
The silent vertebrate exhales,Contracts and concentrates, withdraws;Rachel née RabinovitchTears at the grapes with murderous paws;
The silent vertebrate exhales,
Contracts and concentrates, withdraws;
Rachel née Rabinovitch
Tears at the grapes with murderous paws;
She and the lady in the capeAre suspect, thought to be in league;Therefore the man with heavy eyesDeclines the gambit, shows fatigue,
She and the lady in the cape
Are suspect, thought to be in league;
Therefore the man with heavy eyes
Declines the gambit, shows fatigue,
Leaves the room and reappearsOutside the window, leaning in,Branches of wistariaCircumscribe a golden grin;
Leaves the room and reappears
Outside the window, leaning in,
Branches of wistaria
Circumscribe a golden grin;
The host with someone indistinctConverses at the door apart,The nightingales are singing nearThe convent of the Sacred Heart,
The host with someone indistinct
Converses at the door apart,
The nightingales are singing near
The convent of the Sacred Heart,
And sang within the bloody woodWhen Agamemnon cried aloudAnd let their liquid siftings fallTo stain the stiff dishonoured shroud.
And sang within the bloody wood
When Agamemnon cried aloud
And let their liquid siftings fall
To stain the stiff dishonoured shroud.