465
OUT IN THE DARKOut in the dark over the snowThe fallow fawns invisible goWith the fallow doe;And the winds blowFast as the stars are slow.Stealthily the dark haunts roundAnd, when the lamp goes, without soundAt a swifter boundThan the swiftest hound,Arrives, and all else is drowned;And I and star and wind and deer,Are in the dark together,—near,Yet far,—and fearDrums on my earIn that sage company drear.How weak and little is the light,All the universe of sight,Love and delight,Before the might,If you love it not, of night.Edward Thomas
Out in the dark over the snowThe fallow fawns invisible goWith the fallow doe;And the winds blowFast as the stars are slow.Stealthily the dark haunts roundAnd, when the lamp goes, without soundAt a swifter boundThan the swiftest hound,Arrives, and all else is drowned;And I and star and wind and deer,Are in the dark together,—near,Yet far,—and fearDrums on my earIn that sage company drear.How weak and little is the light,All the universe of sight,Love and delight,Before the might,If you love it not, of night.Edward Thomas
Out in the dark over the snowThe fallow fawns invisible goWith the fallow doe;And the winds blowFast as the stars are slow.
Out in the dark over the snow
The fallow fawns invisible go
With the fallow doe;
And the winds blow
Fast as the stars are slow.
Stealthily the dark haunts roundAnd, when the lamp goes, without soundAt a swifter boundThan the swiftest hound,Arrives, and all else is drowned;
Stealthily the dark haunts round
And, when the lamp goes, without sound
At a swifter bound
Than the swiftest hound,
Arrives, and all else is drowned;
And I and star and wind and deer,Are in the dark together,—near,Yet far,—and fearDrums on my earIn that sage company drear.
And I and star and wind and deer,
Are in the dark together,—near,
Yet far,—and fear
Drums on my ear
In that sage company drear.
How weak and little is the light,All the universe of sight,Love and delight,Before the might,If you love it not, of night.Edward Thomas
How weak and little is the light,
All the universe of sight,
Love and delight,
Before the might,
If you love it not, of night.
Edward Thomas
466
NOCTURNEThe red flame flowers bloom and die,The embers puff a golden spark.Now and again a horse's eyeShines like a topaz in the dark.A prowling jackal jars the hush,The drowsy oxen chump and sigh—The ghost moon lifts above the bushAnd creeps across the starry sky.Low in the south the "Cross" is bright,And sleep comes dreamless, undefiled,Here in the blue and silver night,In the star-chamber of the Wild.Crosbie Garstin
The red flame flowers bloom and die,The embers puff a golden spark.Now and again a horse's eyeShines like a topaz in the dark.A prowling jackal jars the hush,The drowsy oxen chump and sigh—The ghost moon lifts above the bushAnd creeps across the starry sky.Low in the south the "Cross" is bright,And sleep comes dreamless, undefiled,Here in the blue and silver night,In the star-chamber of the Wild.Crosbie Garstin
The red flame flowers bloom and die,The embers puff a golden spark.Now and again a horse's eyeShines like a topaz in the dark.
The red flame flowers bloom and die,
The embers puff a golden spark.
Now and again a horse's eye
Shines like a topaz in the dark.
A prowling jackal jars the hush,The drowsy oxen chump and sigh—The ghost moon lifts above the bushAnd creeps across the starry sky.
A prowling jackal jars the hush,
The drowsy oxen chump and sigh—
The ghost moon lifts above the bush
And creeps across the starry sky.
Low in the south the "Cross" is bright,And sleep comes dreamless, undefiled,Here in the blue and silver night,In the star-chamber of the Wild.Crosbie Garstin
Low in the south the "Cross" is bright,
And sleep comes dreamless, undefiled,
Here in the blue and silver night,
In the star-chamber of the Wild.
Crosbie Garstin
467
THE ANGELI dreamt a Dream! what can it mean?And that I was a maiden QueenGuarded by an Angel mild:Witless woe was ne'er beguiled!And I wept both night and day,And he wiped my tears away;And I wept both day and night,And hid from him my heart's delight.So he took his wings and fled;Then the morn blushed rosy red;I dried my tears, and armed my fearsWith ten thousand shields and spears.Soon my Angel came again;I was armed, he came in vain;For the time of youth was fled,And grey hairs were on my head.William Blake
I dreamt a Dream! what can it mean?And that I was a maiden QueenGuarded by an Angel mild:Witless woe was ne'er beguiled!And I wept both night and day,And he wiped my tears away;And I wept both day and night,And hid from him my heart's delight.So he took his wings and fled;Then the morn blushed rosy red;I dried my tears, and armed my fearsWith ten thousand shields and spears.Soon my Angel came again;I was armed, he came in vain;For the time of youth was fled,And grey hairs were on my head.William Blake
I dreamt a Dream! what can it mean?And that I was a maiden QueenGuarded by an Angel mild:Witless woe was ne'er beguiled!
I dreamt a Dream! what can it mean?
And that I was a maiden Queen
Guarded by an Angel mild:
Witless woe was ne'er beguiled!
And I wept both night and day,And he wiped my tears away;And I wept both day and night,And hid from him my heart's delight.
And I wept both night and day,
And he wiped my tears away;
And I wept both day and night,
And hid from him my heart's delight.
So he took his wings and fled;Then the morn blushed rosy red;I dried my tears, and armed my fearsWith ten thousand shields and spears.
So he took his wings and fled;
Then the morn blushed rosy red;
I dried my tears, and armed my fears
With ten thousand shields and spears.
Soon my Angel came again;I was armed, he came in vain;For the time of youth was fled,And grey hairs were on my head.William Blake
Soon my Angel came again;
I was armed, he came in vain;
For the time of youth was fled,
And grey hairs were on my head.
William Blake
468
"ANGEL SPIRITS OF SLEEP"Angel spirits of sleep,White-robed, with silver hair,In your meadows fair,Where the willows weep,And the sad moonbeamOn the gliding streamWrites her scattered dream:Angel spirits of sleep,Dancing to the weirIn the hollow roarOf its waters deep;Know ye how men sayThat ye haunt no moreIsle and grassy shoreWith your moonlit play;That ye dance not here,White-robed spirits of sleep,All the summer nightThreading dances light?Robert Bridges
Angel spirits of sleep,White-robed, with silver hair,In your meadows fair,Where the willows weep,And the sad moonbeamOn the gliding streamWrites her scattered dream:Angel spirits of sleep,Dancing to the weirIn the hollow roarOf its waters deep;Know ye how men sayThat ye haunt no moreIsle and grassy shoreWith your moonlit play;That ye dance not here,White-robed spirits of sleep,All the summer nightThreading dances light?Robert Bridges
Angel spirits of sleep,White-robed, with silver hair,In your meadows fair,Where the willows weep,And the sad moonbeamOn the gliding streamWrites her scattered dream:
Angel spirits of sleep,
White-robed, with silver hair,
In your meadows fair,
Where the willows weep,
And the sad moonbeam
On the gliding stream
Writes her scattered dream:
Angel spirits of sleep,Dancing to the weirIn the hollow roarOf its waters deep;Know ye how men sayThat ye haunt no moreIsle and grassy shoreWith your moonlit play;That ye dance not here,White-robed spirits of sleep,All the summer nightThreading dances light?Robert Bridges
Angel spirits of sleep,
Dancing to the weir
In the hollow roar
Of its waters deep;
Know ye how men say
That ye haunt no more
Isle and grassy shore
With your moonlit play;
That ye dance not here,
White-robed spirits of sleep,
All the summer night
Threading dances light?
Robert Bridges
469
A DREAMOnce a dream did weave a shadeO'er my Angel-guarded bed,That an Emmet lost its wayWhere on grass methought I lay.Troubled, 'wildered, and forlorn,Dark, benighted, travel-worn,Over many a tangled spray,All heart-broke I heard her say:"O my children! do they cry?Do they hear their father sigh?Now they look abroad to see:Now return and weep for me."Pitying, I dropped a tear;But I saw a glow-worm near,Who replied: "What wailing wightCalls the watchman of the night?"I am set to light the ground,While the beetle goes his round:Follow now the beetle's hum;Little wanderer, hie thee home."William Blake
Once a dream did weave a shadeO'er my Angel-guarded bed,That an Emmet lost its wayWhere on grass methought I lay.Troubled, 'wildered, and forlorn,Dark, benighted, travel-worn,Over many a tangled spray,All heart-broke I heard her say:"O my children! do they cry?Do they hear their father sigh?Now they look abroad to see:Now return and weep for me."Pitying, I dropped a tear;But I saw a glow-worm near,Who replied: "What wailing wightCalls the watchman of the night?"I am set to light the ground,While the beetle goes his round:Follow now the beetle's hum;Little wanderer, hie thee home."William Blake
Once a dream did weave a shadeO'er my Angel-guarded bed,That an Emmet lost its wayWhere on grass methought I lay.
Once a dream did weave a shade
O'er my Angel-guarded bed,
That an Emmet lost its way
Where on grass methought I lay.
Troubled, 'wildered, and forlorn,Dark, benighted, travel-worn,Over many a tangled spray,All heart-broke I heard her say:
Troubled, 'wildered, and forlorn,
Dark, benighted, travel-worn,
Over many a tangled spray,
All heart-broke I heard her say:
"O my children! do they cry?Do they hear their father sigh?Now they look abroad to see:Now return and weep for me."
"O my children! do they cry?
Do they hear their father sigh?
Now they look abroad to see:
Now return and weep for me."
Pitying, I dropped a tear;But I saw a glow-worm near,Who replied: "What wailing wightCalls the watchman of the night?
Pitying, I dropped a tear;
But I saw a glow-worm near,
Who replied: "What wailing wight
Calls the watchman of the night?
"I am set to light the ground,While the beetle goes his round:Follow now the beetle's hum;Little wanderer, hie thee home."William Blake
"I am set to light the ground,
While the beetle goes his round:
Follow now the beetle's hum;
Little wanderer, hie thee home."
William Blake
470
THE LAND OF DREAMSAwake, awake, my little Boy!Thou wast thy Mother's only joy:Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?Awake! thy Father does thee keep."O, what land is the Land of Dreams,What are its mountains, and what are its streams?O Father! I saw my Mother there,Among the Lillies by waters fair."Among the lambs clothèd in white,She walked with her Thomas in sweet delight.I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn;O! when shall I again return?"Dear Child, I also by pleasant streamsHave wandered all night in the Land of Dreams,But tho' calm and warm the waters wide,I could not get to the other side."Father, O Father! what do we here,In this Land of unbelief and fear?The Land of Dreams is better farAbove the light of the Morning Star."William Blake
Awake, awake, my little Boy!Thou wast thy Mother's only joy:Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?Awake! thy Father does thee keep."O, what land is the Land of Dreams,What are its mountains, and what are its streams?O Father! I saw my Mother there,Among the Lillies by waters fair."Among the lambs clothèd in white,She walked with her Thomas in sweet delight.I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn;O! when shall I again return?"Dear Child, I also by pleasant streamsHave wandered all night in the Land of Dreams,But tho' calm and warm the waters wide,I could not get to the other side."Father, O Father! what do we here,In this Land of unbelief and fear?The Land of Dreams is better farAbove the light of the Morning Star."William Blake
Awake, awake, my little Boy!Thou wast thy Mother's only joy:Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?Awake! thy Father does thee keep.
Awake, awake, my little Boy!
Thou wast thy Mother's only joy:
Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?
Awake! thy Father does thee keep.
"O, what land is the Land of Dreams,What are its mountains, and what are its streams?O Father! I saw my Mother there,Among the Lillies by waters fair.
"O, what land is the Land of Dreams,
What are its mountains, and what are its streams?
O Father! I saw my Mother there,
Among the Lillies by waters fair.
"Among the lambs clothèd in white,She walked with her Thomas in sweet delight.I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn;O! when shall I again return?"
"Among the lambs clothèd in white,
She walked with her Thomas in sweet delight.
I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn;
O! when shall I again return?"
Dear Child, I also by pleasant streamsHave wandered all night in the Land of Dreams,But tho' calm and warm the waters wide,I could not get to the other side.
Dear Child, I also by pleasant streams
Have wandered all night in the Land of Dreams,
But tho' calm and warm the waters wide,
I could not get to the other side.
"Father, O Father! what do we here,In this Land of unbelief and fear?The Land of Dreams is better farAbove the light of the Morning Star."William Blake
"Father, O Father! what do we here,
In this Land of unbelief and fear?
The Land of Dreams is better far
Above the light of the Morning Star."
William Blake