Part 7 (1/2)

”I remember, I remember That Spring came on forever, That Spring came on forever,”

Said the Chinese nightingale.

My heart was filled with marvel and dream, Though I saw the western street-lamps gleam, Though dawn was bringing the western day, Though Chang was a laundryman ironing away . . .

Mingled there with the streets and alleys, The railroad-yard and the clock-tower bright, Demon clouds crossed ancient valleys; Across wide lotus-ponds of light I marked a giant firefly's flight.

And the lady, rosy-red, Flourished her fan, her s.h.i.+mmering fan, Stretched her hand toward Chang, and said: ”Do you remember, Ages after, Our palace of heart-red stone?

Do you remember The little doll-faced children With their lanterns full of moon-fire, That came from all the empire Honoring the throne? -- The loveliest fete and carnival Our world had ever known?

The sages sat about us With their heads bowed in their beards, With proper meditation on the sight.

Confucius was not born; We lived in those great days Confucius later said were lived aright . . .

And this gray bird, on that day of spring, With a bright-bronze breast, and a bronze-brown wing, Captured the world with his carolling.

Late at night his tune was spent.

Peasants, Sages, Children, Homeward went, And then the bronze bird sang for you and me.

We walked alone. Our hearts were high and free.

I had a silvery name, I had a silvery name, I had a silvery name -- do you remember The name you cried beside the tumbling sea?”

Chang turned not to the lady slim -- He bent to his work, ironing away; But she was arch, and knowing and glowing, And the bird on his shoulder spoke for him.

”Darling . . . darling . . . darling . . . darling . . .”

Said the Chinese nightingale.

The great gray joss on a rustic shelf, Rakish and shrewd, with his collar awry, Sang impolitely, as though by himself, Drowning with his bellowing the nightingale's cry: ”Back through a hundred, hundred years Hear the waves as they climb the piers, Hear the howl of the silver seas, Hear the thunder.

Hear the gongs of holy China How the waves and tunes combine In a rhythmic clas.h.i.+ng wonder, Incantation old and fine: 'Dragons, dragons, Chinese dragons, Red fire-crackers, and green fire-crackers, And dragons, dragons, Chinese dragons.'”

Then the lady, rosy-red, Turned to her lover Chang and said: ”Dare you forget that turquoise dawn, When we stood in our mist-hung velvet lawn, And worked a spell this great joss taught Till a G.o.d of the Dragons was charmed and caught?

From the flag high over our palace home He flew to our feet in rainbow-foam -- A king of beauty and tempest and thunder Panting to tear our sorrows asunder: A dragon of fair adventure and wonder.

We mounted the back of that royal slave With thoughts of desire that were n.o.ble and grave.

We swam down the sh.o.r.e to the dragon-mountains, We whirled to the peaks and the fiery fountains.

To our secret ivory house we were borne.

We looked down the wonderful wing-filled regions Where the dragons darted in glimmering legions.

Right by my breast the nightingale sang; The old rhymes rang in the sunlit mist That we this hour regain -- Song-fire for the brain.

When my hands and my hair and my feet you kissed, When you cried for your heart's new pain, What was my name in the dragon-mist, In the rings of rainbowed rain?”

”Sorrow and love, glory and love,”

Said the Chinese nightingale.

”Sorrow and love, glory and love,”

Said the Chinese nightingale.

And now the joss broke in with his song: ”Dying ember, bird of Chang, Soul of Chang, do you remember? -- Ere you returned to the s.h.i.+ning harbor There were pirates by ten thousand Descended on the town In vessels mountain-high and red and brown, Moon-s.h.i.+ps that climbed the storms and cut the skies.

On their prows were painted terrible bright eyes.

But I was then a wizard and a scholar and a priest; I stood upon the sand; With lifted hand I looked upon them And sunk their vessels with my wizard eyes, And the stately lacquer-gate made safe again.

Deep, deep below the bay, the sea-weed and the spray, Embalmed in amber every pirate lies, Embalmed in amber every pirate lies.”