dreams & dust-第5节
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The little stars； the lonely stars；
Stole through the hollow sky；
And every sucking eddy where
The waves lapped wharf or rotten stair
Moaned like some stricken thing hid there
And strangled with its own despair
As the shuddering tide crept by。
I loved her； and I hated her
Or did I hate myself because；
Bound by obscure； strong； silken laws；
I felt myself the worshiper
Of beauty never wholly mine？
With lures most apt to snare； entwine；
With bonds too subtle to define；
Her lighter nature mastered mine；
Herself half given； half withheld；
Her lesser spirit still compelled
Its tribute from my franker soul：
Sorebel； slave； and worshiper！
I loved her and I hated her。
I gazed upon her； I； her thrall；
And musing； murmured； What if death
Were just the answer to it all？
Suppose some dainty dagger quaffed
Her life in one deep eager draught？
Suppose some amorous knife caressed
The lovely hollow of her breast？〃
She turned a mocking look to mine：
She read the thought within my eyne；
She held me with her lookand laughed！
Now who may tell what stirs； controls；
And shapes mad fancies into facts？
What trivial things may quicken souls
To irrevocable； swift acts？
Now who has known； who understood；
Wherefore some idle thing
May stab with deadlier sting
Than well…considered insult could？
May spur the languor of a mood
And rouse a tiger in the blood？
Ah； Christ！had she not laughed just when
That fancy came！ 。 。 。 for then 。 。 。 and then 。 。 。
A sudden mist dropped from the sky；
A mist swept in across the sea 。 。 。
A mist that hid her face from me 。 。 。
A weeping mist all tinged with red；
A dripping mist that smelt like blood 。 。 。
It choked my throat； it burnt my brain 。 。 。
And through it peered one sallow star；
And through it rang one shriek of pain 。 。 。
And when it passed my hands were red；
My soul was dabbled with her blood；
And when it passed my love was dead
And tossed upon the troubled flood。
III
MOONSET
But see！ 。 。 。 the body does not sink；
It rides upon the tide
（A starbeam on the dagger's haft）；
With staring eyes and wide 。 。 。
And now； up from the darkling sea；
Down from the failing moon；
Are come strange shapes to mock at me 。 。 。
All pallid from the star…pale sea；
White from the paling moon 。 。 。
Or whirling fast or wheeling slow
Around； around the corpse they go；
All bloodless o'er the sickened sea
Beneath the ailing moon！
And are they only wisps of fog
That dance along the waves？
Only shapes of mist the wind
Drives along the waves？
Or are they spirits that the sea
Has cheated of their graves？
The ghosts of them that died at sea；
Of murdered men flung in the sea；
Whose bodies had no graves？
Lost souls that haunt for evermore
The sobbing reef and hollowed shore
And always…murmuring caves？
Ah； surely something more than fog；
More than starlit mist！
For starlight never makes a sound
And fogs are ever whist
But hearken； hearken； hearken； now；
For these sing as they dance！
As airily； as eerily；
They wheel about and whirl；
They jeer at me； they fleer at me；
They flout me as they swirl！
As whirling fast or swaying slow；
Reeling； wheeling； to and fro；
Around； around the corpse they go；
They chill me with their chants！
These be neither men nor mists
Hearken to their chants：
Ever； ever； ever；
Drifting like a blossom
Seaward； with the starlight
Wan upon her bosom
Ever when the quickened
Heart of night is throbbing；
Ever when the trembling
Tide sets seaward； sobbing；
Shall you see this burden
Borne upon its ebbing：
See her drifting seaward
Like a broken blossom；
Ever see the starlight
Kiss her bruised bosom。
Flight availeth nothing 。 。 。
Still the subtle beaches
Draw you back where Horror
Walks their shingled reaches 。 。 。
Ever shall your spirit
Hear the surf resounding；
Evermore the ocean
Thwarting you and bounding；
Vainly struggle inland！
Lashing you and hounding；
Still the vision hales you
From the upland reaches；
Goading you and gripping；
Binds you to the beaches！
Ever； ever； ever；
Ever shall her laughter；
Hunting you and haunting；
Mock and follow after；
Rising where the buoy…bell
Clangs across the shallows；
Leaping where the spindrift
Hurtles o'er the hollows；
Ringing where the moonlight
Gleams along the billows；
Ever； ever； ever；
Ever shall her laughter；
Hounding you and haunting；
Whip and follow after！
IV
SUNSET
I stood among the boats
The sinking sun； the angry sun；
Across the sullen wave
Laid the sudden strength of his red wrath
Like to a shaken glaive：
Or did the sun pause in the west
To lift a sword at me；
Or was it she； or was it she；
Rose for an instant on some crest
And plucked the red blade from her breast
And brandished it at me？
THE TAVERN OF DESPAIR
THE wraiths of murdered hopes and loves
Come whispering at the door；
Come creeping through the weeping mist
That drapes the barren moor；
But we within have turned the key
'Gainst Hope and Love and Care；
Where Wit keeps tryst with Folly； at
The Tavern of Despair。
And we have come by divers ways
To keep this merry tryst；
But few of us have kept within
The Narrow Way； I wist；
For we are those whose ampler wits
And hearts have proved our curse
Foredoomed to ken the better things
And aye to do the worse！
Long since we learned to mock ourselves；
And from self…mockery fell
To heedless laughter in the face
Of Heaven； Earth； and Hell。
We quiver 'neath； and mock； God's rod；
We feel； and mock； His wrath；
We mock our own blood on the thorns
That rim the 〃Primrose Path。〃
We mock the eerie glimmering shapes
That range the outer wold；
We mock our own cold hearts because
They are so dead and cold；
We flout the things we might have been
Had self to self proved true；
We mock the roses flung away；
We mock the garnered rue；
The fates that gibe have lessoned us；
There sups to…night on earth
No madder crew of wastrels than
This fellowship of mirth。 。 。 。
（Of mirth 。 。 。 drink； fools！nor let it flag
Lest from the outer mist
Creep in that other company
Unbidden to the tryst。
We're grown so fond of paradox
Perverseness holds us thrall；
So what each jester loves the best
He mocks the most of all；
But as the jest and laugh go round；
Each in his neighbor's eyes
Reads； while he flouts his heart's desire；
The knowledge that he lies。
Not one of us but had some pearls
And flung them to the swine；
Not one of us but had some gift
Some spark of fire divine
Each might have been God's minister
In the temple of some art
Each feels his gift perverted move
Wormlike through his dry heart。
If God called Azrael to Him now
And bade Death bend the bow
Against the saddest heart that beats
Here on this earth below；
Not any sobbing breast would gain
The guerdon of that barb
The saddest ones are those that wear
The jester's motley garb。
Whose shout aye loudest rings； and whose
The maddest cranks and quips
Who mints his soul to laughter's coin
And wastes it with his lips
Has grown too sad for sighs and seeks
To cheat himself with mirth；
We fools self…doomed to motley are
The weariest wights on earth！
But yet； for us whose brains and hearts
Strove aye in paths perverse；
Doomed still to know the better things
And still to do the worse；
What else is there remains for us
But make a jest of care
And set the rafters ringing； in
Our Tavern of Despair？
COLORS AND SURFACES
A GOLDEN LAD
（D。 V。 M。）
〃Golden lads and lasses must
Like chimney…sweepers come to dust。〃
SHAKESPEARE。
So young； but already the splendor
Of genius robed him about
Already the dangerous； tender
Regard of the gods marked him out
（On whom the burden and duty
They bind； at his earliest breath；
Of showing their own grave beauty；
They love and they crown with death。）
We were of one blood； but the olden
Rapt poets spake out in his tone；
We were of one blood； but the golden
Rathe promise was his； his alone。
And ever his great eye glistened
With visions I could not see；
Ever he thrilled and listened
To voices withholden from me。
Young lord of the realms of fancy；
The bright dreams flocked to his call
Like sprites that the necromancy
Of a Prospero holds in thrall
Quick visions that served and attended；
Elusive and hovering things；
With a quiver of
