endymion- a poetic romance-第25章
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My life from too thin breathing： gone and past
Are cloudy phantasms。 Caverns lone； farewell！
And air of visions； and the monstrous swell
Of visionary seas！ No； never more
Shall airy voices cheat me to the shore
Of tangled wonder； breathless and aghast。
Adieu； my daintiest Dream！ although so vast
My love is still for thee。 The hour may come
When we shall meet in pure elysium。
On earth I may not love thee； and therefore
Doves will I offer up； and sweetest store
All through the teeming year： so thou wilt shine
On me； and on this damsel fair of mine；
And bless our silver lives。 My Indian bliss！
My river…lilly bud！ one human kiss！
One sigh of real breath… one gentle squeeze；
Warm as a dove's nest among summer trees；
And warm with dew at ooze from living blood！
Whither didst melt？ Ah； what of that！… all good
We'll talk about… no more of dreaming。… Now；
Where shall our dwelling be？ Under the brow
Of some steep mossy hill； where ivy dun
Would hide us up； although spring leaves were none；
And where dark yew trees； as we rustle through；
Will drop their scarlet berry cups of dew？
O thou wouldst joy to live in such a place；
Dusk for our loves； yet light enough to grace
Those gentle limbs on mossy bed reclin'd：
For by one step the blue sky shouldst thou find；
And by another； in deep dell below；
See； through the trees； a little river go
All in its mid…day gold and glimmering。
Honey from out the gnarled hive I'll bring；
And apples； wan with sweetness； gather thee；…
Cresses that grow where no man may them see；
And sorrel untorn by the dew…claw'd stag：
Pipes will I fashion of the syrinx flag；
That thou mayst always know whither I roam；
When it shall please thee in our quiet home
To listen and think of love。 Still let me speak；
Still let me dive into the joy I seek；…
For yet the past doth prison me。 The rill；
Thou haply mayst delight in； will I fill
With fairy fishes from the mountain tarn；
And thou shalt feed them from the squirrel's barn。
Its bottom will I strew with amber shells；
And pebbles blue from deep enchanted wells。
Its sides I'll plant with dew…sweet eglantine；
And honeysuckles full of clear bee…wine。
I will entice this crystal rill to trace
Love's silver name upon the meadow's face。
I'll kneel to Vesta； for a flame of fire；
And to god Phoebus； for a golden lyre；
To Empress Dian； for a hunting spear；
To Vesper； for a taper silver…clear；
That I may see thy beauty through the night；
To Flora； and a nightingale shall light
Tame on thy finger； to the River…gods；
And they shall bring thee taper fishing…rods
Of gold； and lines of Naiads' long bright tress。
Heaven shield thee for thine utter loveliness！
Thy mossy footstool shall the altar be
'Fore which I'll bend； bending； dear love； to thee：
Those lips shall be my Delphos； and shall speak
Laws to my footsteps； colour to my cheek；
Trembling or stedfastness to this same voice；
And of three sweetest pleasurings the choice：
And that affectionate light； those diamond things；
Those eyes； those passions； those supreme pearl springs；
Shall be my grief； or twinkle me to pleasure。
Say； is not bliss within our perfect seisure？
O that I could not doubt！〃
The mountaineer
Thus strove by fancies vain and crude to clear
His briar'd path to some tranquillity。
It gave bright gladness to his lady's eye；
And yet the tears she wept were tears of sorrow；
Answering thus； just as the golden morrow
Beam'd upward from the vallies of the east：
〃O that the flutter of this heart had ceas'd；
Or the sweet name of love had pass'd away。
Young feather'd tyrant！ by a swift decay
Wilt thou devote this body to the earth：
And I do think that at my very birth
I lisp'd thy blooming titles inwardly；
For at the first； first dawn and thought of thee；
With uplift hands I blest the stars of heaven。
Art thou not cruel？ Ever have I striven
To think thee kind； but ah； it will not do！
When yet a child； I heard that kisses drew
Favour from thee； and so I kisses gave
To the void air； bidding them find out love：
But when I came to feel how far above
All fancy； pride； and fickle maidenhood；
All earthly pleasure； all imagin'd good；
Was the warm tremble of a devout kiss；…
Even then； that moment； at the thought of this；
Fainting I fell into a bed of flowers；
And languish'd there three days。 Ye milder powers；
Am I not cruelly wrong'd？ Believe； believe
Me； dear Endymion； were I to weave
With my own fancies garlands of sweet life；
Thou shouldst be one of all。 Ah； bitter strife！
I may not be thy love： I am forbidden…
Indeed I am… thwarted； affrighted； chidden；
By things I trembled at； and gorgon wrath。
Twice hast thou ask'd whither I went： henceforth
Ask me no more！ I may not utter it；
Nor may I be thy love。 We might commit
Ourselves at once to vengeance； we might die；
We might embrace and die： voluptuous thought！
Enlarge not to my hunger； or I'm caught
In trammels of perverse deliciousness。
No； no； that shall not be： thee will I bless；
And bid a long adieu。〃
The Carian
No word return'd： both lovelorn； silent； wan；
Into the vallies green together went。
Far wandering； they were perforce content
To sit beneath a fair lone beechen tree；
Nor at each other gaz'd； but heavily
Por'd on its hazle cirque of shedded leaves。
Endymion！ unhappy！ it nigh grieves
Me to behold thee thus in last extreme：
Ensky'd ere this； but truly that I deem
Truth the best music in a first…born song。
Thy lute…voic'd brother will I sing ere long；
And thou shalt aid… hast thou not aided me？
Yes； moonlight Emperor！ felicity
Has been thy meed for many thousand years；
Yet often have I； on the brink of tears；
Mourn'd as if yet thou wert a forester；…
Forgetting the old tale。
He did not stir
His eyes from the dead leaves； or one small pulse
Of joy he might have felt。 The spirit culls
Unfaded amaranth； when wild it strays
Through the old garden…ground of boyish days。
A little onward ran the very stream
By which he took his first soft poppy dream；
And on the very bark 'gainst which he leant
A crescent he had carv'd； and round it spent
His skill in little stars。 The teeming tree
Had swollen and green'd the pious charactery；
But not ta'en out。 Why； there was not a slope
Up which he had not fear'd the antelope；
And not a tree； beneath whose rooty shade
He had not with his tamed leopards play'd：
Nor could an arrow light； or javelin；
Fly in the air where his had never been…
And yet he knew it not。
O treachery！
Why does his lady smile； pleasing her eye
With all his sorrowing？ He sees her not。
But who so stares on him？ His sister sure！
Peona of the woods！… Can she endure…
Impossible… how dearly they embrace！
His lady smiles； delight is
