Part 7 (1/2)
Youth and its pensive agonies! How soon The restless heart forgets to crave the moon!
Age is too weary for the b.u.t.terflies-- Spring's rainbow radiance fluttering through sweet skies, Hope merrily deferred. We see the morn, We who are old, in shattered fragments. Scorn For laughter and for singing clouds our breast.
Youth, take your fill of pleasure, for the rest Of Age is endless. Sing, nor grudge the song-- Youth is so short, and Age, quiet Age, so long!
XX
_Persephone_
Persephone, Persephone--her sweet face wanders up to me, Through this bewildering maze of spring.
At length she daunts the tyrannous year, Her little laugh usurps the tear, Her little song she dares to fling Against the black stars, merrily.
Persephone, Persephone--her hands lean through the spring to me.
Sweet, could I show you in what wise Your song has blossomed--how the air Is mad with gold because your hair, Tossed golden 'neath your sea-blue eyes, And earth goes laughing with your glee?
Persephone, Persephone, this hour sends out your heart to me.
Child of the Dark, with soul sun-bright, Ah, give me largesse, give me May, So shall I charm the saddest day, And life--one amber dawn's delight-- Shall bear your song eternally.
XXI
_etoiles d'Enfer_
The four wide winds of evening have their stars, Fas.h.i.+oned in fire, in purity of snow, Tossed to their height by endless avatars-- These all the righteous know.
What of the stars of Hades? On the gloom The outcast see them s.h.i.+ne like angels' eyes, And in the living night that is their tomb They dream of Paradise.
They know the stars of Hades. They are deeds, Wickedly born, which came to good at last-- Fair blossoms spring from villany of weeds, Rest--and redeem the past.
XXII
_Enough of Singing_
Enough of singing; since your heart is tired, We'll leave the lute, so long, so long desired, And in the silence speak one quiet word, Simple as earth, forgetting song and bird.
No more of singing; mating-time has sped, In the broad fields the poppy-lips are red.