Chapter 38

384

EGYPT'S MIGHT IS TUMBLED DOWNEgypt's might is tumbled downDown a-down the deeps of thought;Greece is fallen and Troy town,Glorious Rome hath lost her crown,Venice' pride is nought.But the dreams their children dreamedFleeting, unsubstantial, vain,Shadowy as the shadows seemed,Airy nothing, as they deemed,These remain.Mary Coleridge

Egypt's might is tumbled downDown a-down the deeps of thought;Greece is fallen and Troy town,Glorious Rome hath lost her crown,Venice' pride is nought.But the dreams their children dreamedFleeting, unsubstantial, vain,Shadowy as the shadows seemed,Airy nothing, as they deemed,These remain.Mary Coleridge

Egypt's might is tumbled downDown a-down the deeps of thought;Greece is fallen and Troy town,Glorious Rome hath lost her crown,Venice' pride is nought.

Egypt's might is tumbled down

Down a-down the deeps of thought;

Greece is fallen and Troy town,

Glorious Rome hath lost her crown,

Venice' pride is nought.

But the dreams their children dreamedFleeting, unsubstantial, vain,Shadowy as the shadows seemed,Airy nothing, as they deemed,These remain.Mary Coleridge

But the dreams their children dreamed

Fleeting, unsubstantial, vain,

Shadowy as the shadows seemed,

Airy nothing, as they deemed,

These remain.

Mary Coleridge

385

DREAM LOVEYoung Love lies sleepingIn May-time of the year.Among the lilies,Lapped in the tender light:White lambs come grazing,White doves come building there;And round about himThe May-bushes are white.Soft moss the pillowFor oh, a softer cheek;Broad leaves cast shadowUpon the heavy eyes:There winds and watersGrow lulled and scarcely speak;There twilight lingersThe longest in the skies.Young Love lies dreaming;But who shall tell the dream?A perfect sunlightOn rustling forest tips;Or perfect moonlightUpon a rippling stream;Or perfect silence,Or song of cherished lips.Burn odours round himTo fill the drowsy air;Weave silent dancesAround him to and fro;For oh, in wakingThe sights are not so fair,And song and silenceAre not like these below.Young Love lies dreamingTill summer days are gone,—Dreaming and drowsingAway to perfect sleep:He sees the beautySun hath not looked upon,And tastes the fountainUnutterably deep.Him perfect musicDoth hush unto his rest,And through the pausesThe perfect silence calms.Oh, poor the voicesOf earth from east to west,And poor earth's stillnessBetween her stately palms.Young Love lies drowsingAway to poppied death;Cool shadows deepenAcross the sleeping face:So fails the summerWith warm, delicious breath;And what hath autumnTo give us in its place?Draw close the curtainsOf branched evergreen;Change cannot touch themWith fading fingers sere:Here the first violetsPerhaps will bud unseen,And a dove, may be,Return to nestle here.Christina Rossetti

Young Love lies sleepingIn May-time of the year.Among the lilies,Lapped in the tender light:White lambs come grazing,White doves come building there;And round about himThe May-bushes are white.Soft moss the pillowFor oh, a softer cheek;Broad leaves cast shadowUpon the heavy eyes:There winds and watersGrow lulled and scarcely speak;There twilight lingersThe longest in the skies.Young Love lies dreaming;But who shall tell the dream?A perfect sunlightOn rustling forest tips;Or perfect moonlightUpon a rippling stream;Or perfect silence,Or song of cherished lips.Burn odours round himTo fill the drowsy air;Weave silent dancesAround him to and fro;For oh, in wakingThe sights are not so fair,And song and silenceAre not like these below.Young Love lies dreamingTill summer days are gone,—Dreaming and drowsingAway to perfect sleep:He sees the beautySun hath not looked upon,And tastes the fountainUnutterably deep.Him perfect musicDoth hush unto his rest,And through the pausesThe perfect silence calms.Oh, poor the voicesOf earth from east to west,And poor earth's stillnessBetween her stately palms.Young Love lies drowsingAway to poppied death;Cool shadows deepenAcross the sleeping face:So fails the summerWith warm, delicious breath;And what hath autumnTo give us in its place?Draw close the curtainsOf branched evergreen;Change cannot touch themWith fading fingers sere:Here the first violetsPerhaps will bud unseen,And a dove, may be,Return to nestle here.Christina Rossetti

Young Love lies sleepingIn May-time of the year.Among the lilies,Lapped in the tender light:White lambs come grazing,White doves come building there;And round about himThe May-bushes are white.

Young Love lies sleeping

In May-time of the year.

Among the lilies,

Lapped in the tender light:

White lambs come grazing,

White doves come building there;

And round about him

The May-bushes are white.

Soft moss the pillowFor oh, a softer cheek;Broad leaves cast shadowUpon the heavy eyes:There winds and watersGrow lulled and scarcely speak;There twilight lingersThe longest in the skies.

Soft moss the pillow

For oh, a softer cheek;

Broad leaves cast shadow

Upon the heavy eyes:

There winds and waters

Grow lulled and scarcely speak;

There twilight lingers

The longest in the skies.

Young Love lies dreaming;But who shall tell the dream?A perfect sunlightOn rustling forest tips;Or perfect moonlightUpon a rippling stream;Or perfect silence,Or song of cherished lips.

Young Love lies dreaming;

But who shall tell the dream?

A perfect sunlight

On rustling forest tips;

Or perfect moonlight

Upon a rippling stream;

Or perfect silence,

Or song of cherished lips.

Burn odours round himTo fill the drowsy air;Weave silent dancesAround him to and fro;For oh, in wakingThe sights are not so fair,And song and silenceAre not like these below.

Burn odours round him

To fill the drowsy air;

Weave silent dances

Around him to and fro;

For oh, in waking

The sights are not so fair,

And song and silence

Are not like these below.

Young Love lies dreamingTill summer days are gone,—Dreaming and drowsingAway to perfect sleep:He sees the beautySun hath not looked upon,And tastes the fountainUnutterably deep.

Young Love lies dreaming

Till summer days are gone,—

Dreaming and drowsing

Away to perfect sleep:

He sees the beauty

Sun hath not looked upon,

And tastes the fountain

Unutterably deep.

Him perfect musicDoth hush unto his rest,And through the pausesThe perfect silence calms.Oh, poor the voicesOf earth from east to west,And poor earth's stillnessBetween her stately palms.

Him perfect music

Doth hush unto his rest,

And through the pauses

The perfect silence calms.

Oh, poor the voices

Of earth from east to west,

And poor earth's stillness

Between her stately palms.

Young Love lies drowsingAway to poppied death;Cool shadows deepenAcross the sleeping face:So fails the summerWith warm, delicious breath;And what hath autumnTo give us in its place?

Young Love lies drowsing

Away to poppied death;

Cool shadows deepen

Across the sleeping face:

So fails the summer

With warm, delicious breath;

And what hath autumn

To give us in its place?

Draw close the curtainsOf branched evergreen;Change cannot touch themWith fading fingers sere:Here the first violetsPerhaps will bud unseen,And a dove, may be,Return to nestle here.Christina Rossetti

Draw close the curtains

Of branched evergreen;

Change cannot touch them

With fading fingers sere:

Here the first violets

Perhaps will bud unseen,

And a dove, may be,

Return to nestle here.

Christina Rossetti

386

AT COMMON DAWNAt common dawn there is a voice of birdSo sweet, 'tis kin to pain;For love of earthly life it needs be heard,And lets not sleep again.This bird I did one time at midnight hearIn wet November woodSay to himself his lyric faint and clearAs one at daybreak should.He ceased; the covert breathed no other sound,Nor moody answer made;But all the world at beauty's worship found,Was waking in the glade.Vivian Locke Ellis

At common dawn there is a voice of birdSo sweet, 'tis kin to pain;For love of earthly life it needs be heard,And lets not sleep again.This bird I did one time at midnight hearIn wet November woodSay to himself his lyric faint and clearAs one at daybreak should.He ceased; the covert breathed no other sound,Nor moody answer made;But all the world at beauty's worship found,Was waking in the glade.Vivian Locke Ellis

At common dawn there is a voice of birdSo sweet, 'tis kin to pain;For love of earthly life it needs be heard,And lets not sleep again.

At common dawn there is a voice of bird

So sweet, 'tis kin to pain;

For love of earthly life it needs be heard,

And lets not sleep again.

This bird I did one time at midnight hearIn wet November woodSay to himself his lyric faint and clearAs one at daybreak should.

This bird I did one time at midnight hear

In wet November wood

Say to himself his lyric faint and clear

As one at daybreak should.

He ceased; the covert breathed no other sound,Nor moody answer made;But all the world at beauty's worship found,Was waking in the glade.Vivian Locke Ellis

He ceased; the covert breathed no other sound,

Nor moody answer made;

But all the world at beauty's worship found,

Was waking in the glade.

Vivian Locke Ellis


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