FOR A CHILD
His mind has neither need nor power to knowThe foolish things that men call right and wrong.For him the streams of pleasant love-wind flow,For him the mystic, sleep-compelling song.Through love he rules his love-made universe,And sees with eyes by ignorance made keenThe fauns and elves whom older eyes disperse,Great Pan and all the fairies with their queen.King gods, I pray, bestow on him this dole,Not wisdom, wealth, nor mighty deeds to do,But let him keep his happy pagan soul,The poet-vision, simple, free and true,To hunt the rainbow-gold and phantom lights,And meet with dryads on the wooded heights.
His mind has neither need nor power to knowThe foolish things that men call right and wrong.For him the streams of pleasant love-wind flow,For him the mystic, sleep-compelling song.Through love he rules his love-made universe,And sees with eyes by ignorance made keenThe fauns and elves whom older eyes disperse,Great Pan and all the fairies with their queen.King gods, I pray, bestow on him this dole,Not wisdom, wealth, nor mighty deeds to do,But let him keep his happy pagan soul,The poet-vision, simple, free and true,To hunt the rainbow-gold and phantom lights,And meet with dryads on the wooded heights.
His mind has neither need nor power to know
The foolish things that men call right and wrong.
For him the streams of pleasant love-wind flow,
For him the mystic, sleep-compelling song.
Through love he rules his love-made universe,
And sees with eyes by ignorance made keen
The fauns and elves whom older eyes disperse,
Great Pan and all the fairies with their queen.
King gods, I pray, bestow on him this dole,
Not wisdom, wealth, nor mighty deeds to do,
But let him keep his happy pagan soul,
The poet-vision, simple, free and true,
To hunt the rainbow-gold and phantom lights,
And meet with dryads on the wooded heights.