an anthology of australian verse-第9节
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Thou wert a witness when I kissed the mouth
Of her whose eyes outblazed the skyey fires。
I saw the parallels of thy long streets；
With lamps like angels shining all a…row；
While overhead the empyrean seats
Of gods were steeped in paradisic glow。
The Pleiades with rarer fires were tipt；
Hesper sat throned upon his jewelled chair；
The belted giant's triple stars were dipt
In all the splendour of Olympian air；
On high to bless； the Southern Cross did shine；
Like that which blazed o'er conquering Constantine。
Alfred Domett。
An Invitation
Well！ if Truth be all welcomed with hardy reliance；
All the lovely unfoldings of luminous Science；
All that Logic can prove or disprove be avowed：
Is there room for no faith though such Evil intrude
In the dominance still of a Spirit of Good？
Is there room for no hope such a handbreadth we scan
In the permanence yet of the Spirit of Man？
May we bless the far seeker； nor blame the fine dreamer？
Leave Reason her radiance Doubt her due cloud；
Nor their Rainbows enshroud？
From our Life of realities hard shallow…hearted；
Has Romance has all glory idyllic departed
From the workaday World all the wonderment flown？
Well； but what if there gleamed； in an Age cold as this；
The divinest of Poets' ideal of bliss？
Yea； an Eden could lurk in this Empire of ours；
With the loneliest love in the loveliest bowers？
In an era so rapid with railway and steamer；
And with Pan and the Dryads like Raphael gone
What if this could be shown？
O my friends； never deaf to the charms of Denial；
Were its comfortless comforting worth a life…trial
Discontented content with a chilling despair？
Better ask as we float down a song…flood unchecked；
If our Sky with no Iris be glory…bedecked？
Through the gloom of eclipse as we wistfully steal
If no darkling aureolar rays may reveal
That the Future is haply not utterly cheerless：
While the Present has joy and adventure as rare
As the Past when most fair？
And if weary of mists you will roam undisdaining
To a land where the fanciful fountains are raining
Swift brilliants of boiling and beautiful spray
In the violet splendour of skies that illume
Such a wealth of green ferns and rare crimson tree…bloom；
Where a people primeval is vanishing fast；
With its faiths and its fables and ways of the past：
O with reason and fancy unfettered and fearless；
Come plunge with us deep into regions of Day
Come away and away！
A Maori Girl's Song
〃Alas； and well…a…day！ they are talking of me still：
By the tingling of my nostril； I fear they are talking ill；
Poor hapless I poor little I so many mouths to fill
And all for this strange feeling O； this sad； sweet pain！
〃O！ senseless heart O simple！ to yearn so； and to pine
For one so far above me； confest o'er all to shine；
For one a hundred dote upon； who never can be mine！
O； 'tis a foolish feeling all this fond； sweet pain！
〃When I was quite a child not so many moons ago
A happy little maiden O； then it was not so；
Like a sunny…dancing wavelet then I sparkled to and fro；
And I never had this feeling O； this sad； sweet pain！
〃I think it must be owing to the idle life I lead
In the dreamy house for ever that this new bosom…weed
Has sprouted up and spread its shoots till it troubles me indeed
With a restless； weary feeling such a sad； sweet pain！
〃So in this pleasant islet； O； no longer will I stay
And the shadowy summer dwelling I will leave this very day；
On Arapa I'll launch my skiff； and soon be borne away
From all that feeds this feeling O； this fond； sweet pain！
〃I'll go and see dear Rima she'll welcome me； I know；
And a flaxen cloak her gayest o'er my weary shoulders throw；
With purfle red and points so free O； quite a lovely show
To charm away this feeling O； this sad； sweet pain！
〃Two feathers I will borrow； and so gracefully I'll wear
Two feathers soft and snowy； for my long； black； lustrous hair。
Of the albatross's down they'll be O； how charming they'll look there
All to chase away this feeling O； this fond； sweet pain！
〃Then the lads will flock around me with flattering talk all day
And； with anxious little pinches； sly hints of love convey；
And I shall blush with happy pride to hear them； I daresay；
And quite forget this feeling O； this sad； sweet pain！〃
James Brunton Stephens。
The Dominion of Australia
（A Forecast； 1877）
She is not yet； but he whose ear
Thrills to that finer atmosphere
Where footfalls of appointed things；
Reverberant of days to be；
Are heard in forecast echoings；
Like wave…beats from a viewless sea
Hears in the voiceful tremors of the sky
Auroral heralds whispering； 〃She is nigh。〃
She is not yet； but he whose sight
Foreknows the advent of the light；
Whose soul to morning radiance turns
Ere night her curtain hath withdrawn；
And in its quivering folds discerns
The mute monitions of the dawn；
With urgent sense strained onward to descry
Her distant tokens； starts to find Her nigh。
Not yet her day。 How long 〃not yet〃？ 。 。 。
There comes the flush of violet！
And heavenward faces； all aflame
With sanguine imminence of morn；
Wait but the sun…kiss to proclaim
The Day of The Dominion born。
Prelusive baptism！ ere the natal hour
Named with the name and prophecy of power。
Already here to hearts intense；
A spirit…force； transcending sense；
In heights unscaled； in deeps unstirred；
Beneath the calm； above the storm；
She waits the incorporating word
To bid her tremble into form。
Already； like divining…rods； men's souls
Bend down to where the unseen river rolls；
For even as； from sight concealed；
By never flush of dawn revealed；
Nor e'er illumed by golden noon；
Nor sunset…streaked with crimson bar；
Nor silver…spanned by wake of moon；
Nor visited of any star；
Beneath these lands a river waits to bless
（So men divine） our utmost wilderness；
Rolls dark； but yet shall know our skies；
Soon as the wisdom of the wise
Conspires with nature to disclose
The blessing prisoned and unseen；
Till round our lessening wastes there glows
A perfect zone of broadening green；
Till all our land； Australia Felix called；
Become one Continent…Isle of Emerald；
So flows beneath our good and ill
A viewless stream of Common Will；
A gathering force； a present might；
That from its silent depths of gloom
At Wisdom's voice shall leap to light；
And hide our barren feuds in bloom；
Till； all our sundering lines with love o'ergrown；
Our bounds shall be the girdling seas alone。
The Dark Companion
There is an orb that mocked the lore of sages
Long time with mystery of strange unrest；
The steadfast law that rounds the starry ages
Gave doubtful token of supreme behest。
But they who knew the ways of God unchanging；
Concluded some far influence unseen
Some kindred sphere through viewless ethers ranging；
Whose strong persuasions spanned the void between。
And knowing it alone through perturbation
And vague disquiet of another star；
They named it； till the day of revelation；
〃The Dark Companion〃 darkly guessed afar。
But when； through new perfection of appliance；
Faith merged at length in undisputed sight；
The mystic mover was revealed to science；
No Dark Companion； but a speck of light。
No Dark Companion； but a sun of glory；
No fell disturber； but a bright compeer；
The shining complement that crowned the story；
The golden link that made the meaning clear。
Oh； Dark Companion； journeying ever by us；
Oh； grim Perturber of our works and ways
Oh； potent Dread； unseen； yet ever nigh us；
Disquieting all the tenor of our days
Oh； Dark Companion； Death； whose wide embraces
O'ertake remotest change of clime and skies
Oh； Dark Companion； Death； whose grievous traces
Are scattered shreds of riven enterprise
Thou； too； in this wise； when； our eyes unsealing；
The clearer day shall change our faith to sight；
Shalt show thyself； in that supreme revealing；
No Dark Companion； but a thing of light。
No ruthless wrecker of harmonious order；
No alien heart of discord and caprice；
A beckoning light upon the Blissful Border；
A kindred element of law and peace。
So； too； our strange unrest in this our dwelling；
The trembling that thou joinest with our mirth；
Are but thy magnet…communings compelling
Our spirits farther from the scope of earth。
So； doubtless； when beneath thy potence swerving；
'Tis that thou lead'st us by a path unknown；
Our seeming deviations all subserving
The perfect orbit round the central throne。
。
