John Hall Wheelock
Look—on the topmost branches of the worldThe blossoms of the myriad stars are thick;Over the huddled rows of stone and brickA few sad wisps of empty smoke are curledLike ghosts, languid and sick.One breathless moment now the city’s moaningFades, and the endless streets seem vague and dim;There is no sound around the world’s rim,Save in the distance a small band is droningSome desolate old hymn.Van Wyck, how often have we been togetherWhen this same moment made all mysteries clear—The infinite stars that brood above us here,And the gray city in the soft June weather,So tawdry and so dear!
Look—on the topmost branches of the worldThe blossoms of the myriad stars are thick;Over the huddled rows of stone and brickA few sad wisps of empty smoke are curledLike ghosts, languid and sick.One breathless moment now the city’s moaningFades, and the endless streets seem vague and dim;There is no sound around the world’s rim,Save in the distance a small band is droningSome desolate old hymn.Van Wyck, how often have we been togetherWhen this same moment made all mysteries clear—The infinite stars that brood above us here,And the gray city in the soft June weather,So tawdry and so dear!
Look—on the topmost branches of the worldThe blossoms of the myriad stars are thick;Over the huddled rows of stone and brickA few sad wisps of empty smoke are curledLike ghosts, languid and sick.
Look—on the topmost branches of the world
The blossoms of the myriad stars are thick;
Over the huddled rows of stone and brick
A few sad wisps of empty smoke are curled
Like ghosts, languid and sick.
One breathless moment now the city’s moaningFades, and the endless streets seem vague and dim;There is no sound around the world’s rim,Save in the distance a small band is droningSome desolate old hymn.
One breathless moment now the city’s moaning
Fades, and the endless streets seem vague and dim;
There is no sound around the world’s rim,
Save in the distance a small band is droning
Some desolate old hymn.
Van Wyck, how often have we been togetherWhen this same moment made all mysteries clear—The infinite stars that brood above us here,And the gray city in the soft June weather,So tawdry and so dear!
Van Wyck, how often have we been together
When this same moment made all mysteries clear—
The infinite stars that brood above us here,
And the gray city in the soft June weather,
So tawdry and so dear!
SPRING
The air is full of dawn and spring;Outside the room I seeA swallow, like a shaft of light,Shift sideways suddenly.There is no room for death at allIn earth or heaven above;He never yet believed in deathWho ever learned to love.Build me a tomb when I am dead,But leave a window freeThat I may watch the swallow’s flight,And spring come back to me.Build me a tomb of steel and stone,But leave one window free,That I may feel the spring come back—And you come back to me!
The air is full of dawn and spring;Outside the room I seeA swallow, like a shaft of light,Shift sideways suddenly.There is no room for death at allIn earth or heaven above;He never yet believed in deathWho ever learned to love.Build me a tomb when I am dead,But leave a window freeThat I may watch the swallow’s flight,And spring come back to me.Build me a tomb of steel and stone,But leave one window free,That I may feel the spring come back—And you come back to me!
The air is full of dawn and spring;Outside the room I seeA swallow, like a shaft of light,Shift sideways suddenly.
The air is full of dawn and spring;
Outside the room I see
A swallow, like a shaft of light,
Shift sideways suddenly.
There is no room for death at allIn earth or heaven above;He never yet believed in deathWho ever learned to love.
There is no room for death at all
In earth or heaven above;
He never yet believed in death
Who ever learned to love.
Build me a tomb when I am dead,But leave a window freeThat I may watch the swallow’s flight,And spring come back to me.
Build me a tomb when I am dead,
But leave a window free
That I may watch the swallow’s flight,
And spring come back to me.
Build me a tomb of steel and stone,But leave one window free,That I may feel the spring come back—And you come back to me!
Build me a tomb of steel and stone,
But leave one window free,
That I may feel the spring come back—
And you come back to me!
Your body’s motion is like music;Her stride ecstatical and brightMoves to the rhythm of dumb music,The unheard music of delight.The silent splendor of the creationSpeaks through your body’s stately strength,And the lithe harmony of beautyUndulates through its lovely length.And rhythmically your bosom’s arches,Alternately, with every breathLift lifeward in long lines of beautyAnd lapse along the slopes of death.
Your body’s motion is like music;Her stride ecstatical and brightMoves to the rhythm of dumb music,The unheard music of delight.The silent splendor of the creationSpeaks through your body’s stately strength,And the lithe harmony of beautyUndulates through its lovely length.And rhythmically your bosom’s arches,Alternately, with every breathLift lifeward in long lines of beautyAnd lapse along the slopes of death.
Your body’s motion is like music;Her stride ecstatical and brightMoves to the rhythm of dumb music,The unheard music of delight.
Your body’s motion is like music;
Her stride ecstatical and bright
Moves to the rhythm of dumb music,
The unheard music of delight.
The silent splendor of the creationSpeaks through your body’s stately strength,And the lithe harmony of beautyUndulates through its lovely length.
The silent splendor of the creation
Speaks through your body’s stately strength,
And the lithe harmony of beauty
Undulates through its lovely length.
And rhythmically your bosom’s arches,Alternately, with every breathLift lifeward in long lines of beautyAnd lapse along the slopes of death.
And rhythmically your bosom’s arches,
Alternately, with every breath
Lift lifeward in long lines of beauty
And lapse along the slopes of death.
The lightning flashed, and liftedThe lids of heaven apart,The fiery thunder rolled youAll night long through my heart.From dreams of you at dawnI rose to the window ledge:The storm had passed away,The lake lapped on the sedge.The lyre of heaven trembledStill with the thought of you,The twilight on the waters,And all my spirit, too.
The lightning flashed, and liftedThe lids of heaven apart,The fiery thunder rolled youAll night long through my heart.From dreams of you at dawnI rose to the window ledge:The storm had passed away,The lake lapped on the sedge.The lyre of heaven trembledStill with the thought of you,The twilight on the waters,And all my spirit, too.
The lightning flashed, and liftedThe lids of heaven apart,The fiery thunder rolled youAll night long through my heart.
The lightning flashed, and lifted
The lids of heaven apart,
The fiery thunder rolled you
All night long through my heart.
From dreams of you at dawnI rose to the window ledge:The storm had passed away,The lake lapped on the sedge.
From dreams of you at dawn
I rose to the window ledge:
The storm had passed away,
The lake lapped on the sedge.
The lyre of heaven trembledStill with the thought of you,The twilight on the waters,And all my spirit, too.
The lyre of heaven trembled
Still with the thought of you,
The twilight on the waters,
And all my spirit, too.
All my love for my sweetI bared one day to her.Carelessly she took it,And like a conquerorShe bowed the neck of my soulTo fit it to her yoke,And bridled the lips of Song—Fear within me awoke!But Love cried: “Swiftly, swiftlyBear her along the road;Beautiful is the goalAnd Beauty is the goad.”
All my love for my sweetI bared one day to her.Carelessly she took it,And like a conquerorShe bowed the neck of my soulTo fit it to her yoke,And bridled the lips of Song—Fear within me awoke!But Love cried: “Swiftly, swiftlyBear her along the road;Beautiful is the goalAnd Beauty is the goad.”
All my love for my sweetI bared one day to her.Carelessly she took it,And like a conquerorShe bowed the neck of my soulTo fit it to her yoke,And bridled the lips of Song—Fear within me awoke!But Love cried: “Swiftly, swiftlyBear her along the road;Beautiful is the goalAnd Beauty is the goad.”
All my love for my sweet
I bared one day to her.
Carelessly she took it,
And like a conqueror
She bowed the neck of my soul
To fit it to her yoke,
And bridled the lips of Song—
Fear within me awoke!
But Love cried: “Swiftly, swiftly
Bear her along the road;
Beautiful is the goal
And Beauty is the goad.”
ALONE
Ah, never in all my lifeHave I ever fled awayFrom the loneliness that followsMy spirit night and day!Though I fly to the dearest face,It follows without rest—To the kind heart of love,And the belovèd breast.Though I walk amid the crowd,Still I walk apart;Alone, alone I lieEven at the loved one’s heart.
Ah, never in all my lifeHave I ever fled awayFrom the loneliness that followsMy spirit night and day!Though I fly to the dearest face,It follows without rest—To the kind heart of love,And the belovèd breast.Though I walk amid the crowd,Still I walk apart;Alone, alone I lieEven at the loved one’s heart.
Ah, never in all my lifeHave I ever fled awayFrom the loneliness that followsMy spirit night and day!
Ah, never in all my life
Have I ever fled away
From the loneliness that follows
My spirit night and day!
Though I fly to the dearest face,It follows without rest—To the kind heart of love,And the belovèd breast.
Though I fly to the dearest face,
It follows without rest—
To the kind heart of love,
And the belovèd breast.
Though I walk amid the crowd,Still I walk apart;Alone, alone I lieEven at the loved one’s heart.
Though I walk amid the crowd,
Still I walk apart;
Alone, alone I lie
Even at the loved one’s heart.
Sleep on—I lie at heaven’s high oriels,Over the stars that murmur as they goLighting your lattice-window far below.And every star some of the glory spellsWhereof I know.I have forgotten you, long long ago;Like the sweet, silver singing of thin bellsVanished, or music fading faint and low.Sleep on—I lie at heaven’s high oriels,Who loved you so.
Sleep on—I lie at heaven’s high oriels,Over the stars that murmur as they goLighting your lattice-window far below.And every star some of the glory spellsWhereof I know.I have forgotten you, long long ago;Like the sweet, silver singing of thin bellsVanished, or music fading faint and low.Sleep on—I lie at heaven’s high oriels,Who loved you so.
Sleep on—I lie at heaven’s high oriels,Over the stars that murmur as they goLighting your lattice-window far below.And every star some of the glory spellsWhereof I know.
Sleep on—I lie at heaven’s high oriels,
Over the stars that murmur as they go
Lighting your lattice-window far below.
And every star some of the glory spells
Whereof I know.
I have forgotten you, long long ago;Like the sweet, silver singing of thin bellsVanished, or music fading faint and low.Sleep on—I lie at heaven’s high oriels,Who loved you so.
I have forgotten you, long long ago;
Like the sweet, silver singing of thin bells
Vanished, or music fading faint and low.
Sleep on—I lie at heaven’s high oriels,
Who loved you so.
I shake my hair in the wind of morningFor the joy within me that knows no bounds.I echo backward the vibrant beautyWherewith heaven’s hollow lute resounds.I shed my song on the feet of all men,On the feet of all shed out like wine;On the whole and the hurt I shed my bounty,The beauty within me that is not mine.Turn not away from my song, nor scorn me,Who bear the secret that holds the skyAnd the stars together; but know within meThere speaks another more wise than I.Nor spurn me here from your heart to hate me,Yet hate me here if you will. Not soMyself you hate, but the love within meThat loves you whether you would or no.Here love returns with love to the loverAnd beauty unto the heart thereof,And hatred unto the heart of the hater,Whether he would or no, with love!
I shake my hair in the wind of morningFor the joy within me that knows no bounds.I echo backward the vibrant beautyWherewith heaven’s hollow lute resounds.I shed my song on the feet of all men,On the feet of all shed out like wine;On the whole and the hurt I shed my bounty,The beauty within me that is not mine.Turn not away from my song, nor scorn me,Who bear the secret that holds the skyAnd the stars together; but know within meThere speaks another more wise than I.Nor spurn me here from your heart to hate me,Yet hate me here if you will. Not soMyself you hate, but the love within meThat loves you whether you would or no.Here love returns with love to the loverAnd beauty unto the heart thereof,And hatred unto the heart of the hater,Whether he would or no, with love!
I shake my hair in the wind of morningFor the joy within me that knows no bounds.I echo backward the vibrant beautyWherewith heaven’s hollow lute resounds.
I shake my hair in the wind of morning
For the joy within me that knows no bounds.
I echo backward the vibrant beauty
Wherewith heaven’s hollow lute resounds.
I shed my song on the feet of all men,On the feet of all shed out like wine;On the whole and the hurt I shed my bounty,The beauty within me that is not mine.
I shed my song on the feet of all men,
On the feet of all shed out like wine;
On the whole and the hurt I shed my bounty,
The beauty within me that is not mine.
Turn not away from my song, nor scorn me,Who bear the secret that holds the skyAnd the stars together; but know within meThere speaks another more wise than I.
Turn not away from my song, nor scorn me,
Who bear the secret that holds the sky
And the stars together; but know within me
There speaks another more wise than I.
Nor spurn me here from your heart to hate me,Yet hate me here if you will. Not soMyself you hate, but the love within meThat loves you whether you would or no.
Nor spurn me here from your heart to hate me,
Yet hate me here if you will. Not so
Myself you hate, but the love within me
That loves you whether you would or no.
Here love returns with love to the loverAnd beauty unto the heart thereof,And hatred unto the heart of the hater,Whether he would or no, with love!
Here love returns with love to the lover
And beauty unto the heart thereof,
And hatred unto the heart of the hater,
Whether he would or no, with love!