dreams & dust-第6节
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Quick visions that served and attended；
Elusive and hovering things；
With a quiver of joy in the splendid
Wild sweep of their luminous wings；
He dwelt in an alien glamor；
He wrought of its gleams a crown；
But the world； with its cruelty and clamor；
Broke him and beat him down；
So he passed； he was worn； he was weary；
He was slain at the touch of life；
With a smile that was wistful and eerie
He passed from the senseless strife；
So he ceased （is their humor satiric；
These gods that make perfect and blight？）
He ceased like an exquisite lyric
That dies on the breast of night。
THE SAGE AND THE WOMAN
'TWIXT ancient Beersheba and Dan
Another such a caravan
Dazed Palestine had never seen
As that which bore Sabea's queen
Up from the fain and flaming South
To slake her yearning spirit's drouth
At wisdom's pools； with Solomon。
With gifts of scented sandalwood；
And labdanum； and cassia…bud；
With spicy spoils of Araby
And camel…loads of ivory
And heavy cloths that glanced and shone
With inwrought pearl and beryl…stone
She came； a bold Sabean girl。
And did she find him grave； or gay？
Perchance his palace breathed that day
With psalters sounding solemnly
Or cymbals' merrier minstrelsy
Perchance the wearied monarch heard
Some loose…tongued prophet's meddling word；
None knows； no onebut Solomon！
She lookedwith eyne wherein were blent
All ardors of the Orient；
She spakeall magics of the South
Were compassed in the witch's mouth；
He thought the scarlet lips of her
More precious than En Gedi's myrrh；
The lips of that Sabean girl；
By many an amorous sun caressed；
From lifted brow to amber breast
She gleamed in vivid loveliness
And lithe as any leopardess
And verily； one blames thee not
If thine own proverbs were forgot；
O Solomon； wise Solomon！
She danced for him； and surely she
Learnt dancing from some moonlit sea
Where elfin vapors swirled and swayed
While the wild pipes of witchcraft played
Such clutching music 'twould impel
A prophet's self to dance to hell
So spun the light Sabean girl。
He swore her laughter had the lilt
Of chiming waters that are spilt
In sprays of spurted melody
From founts of carven porphyry；
And in the billowy turbulence
Of her dusk hair drowned soul and sense
Dark tides and deep； O Solomon！
Perchance unto her day belongs
His poem called the Song of Songs；
Each little lyric interval
Timed to her pulse's rise and fall；
Or when he cried out wearily
That all things end in vanity
Did he mean that Sabean girl？
The bright barbaric opulence；
The sun…kist Temple； Kedar's tents；
How many a careless caravan
'Twixt Beersheba and ruined Dan；
Within these forty centuries；
Has flung their dust to many a breeze；
With dust that was King Solomon！
But still the lesson holds as true；
O King； as when she lessoned you：
That very wise men are not wise
Until they read in Folly's eyes
The wisdom that escapes the schools；
That bids the sage revise his rules
By light of some Sabean girl！
NEWS FROM BABYLON
〃Archaeologists have discovered a love…letter among the ruins
of Babylon。〃 Newspaper report。
The world hath just one tale to tell； and it is very old；
A little talea simple talea tale that's easy told：
〃There was a youth in Babylon who greatly loved a
maid！〃
The world hath just one song to sing； but sings it
unafraid；
A little songa foolish songthe only song it hath：
〃There was a youth in Ascalon who loved a girl in
Gath！〃
Homer clanged it； Omar twanged it； Greece and
Persia knew！
Nimrod's reivers； Hiram's weavers； Hindu； Kurd；
and Jew
Crowning Tyre； Troy afire； they have dreamed
the dream；
Tiber…side and Nilus…tide brightened with the
gleam
Oh； the suing； sighing； wooing； sad and merry
hours；
Blisses tasted； kisses wasted； building Babel's
towers！
Hearts were aching； hearts were breaking； lashes
wet with dew；
When the ships touched the lips of islands Sappho
knew；
Yearning breasts and burning breasts； cold at last；
are hid
Amid the glooms of carven tombs in Khufu's
pyramid
Though the sages； down the ages； smile their cynic
doubt；
Man and maid； unafraid； put the schools to rout；
Seek to chain love and retain love in the bonds of
breath；
Vow to hold love； bind and fold love even unto
death！
The dust of forty centuries has buried Babylon；
And out of all her lovers dead rises only one；
Rises with a song to sing and laughter in his eyes；
The old songthe only songfor all the rest are lies！
For； oh； the world has just one dream； and it is very
old
'Tis youth's dreama silly dreambut it is flushed
with gold！
A RHYME OF THE ROADS
PEARL…SLASHED and purple and crimson and
fringed with gray mist of the hills；
The pennons of morning advance to the music of
rock…fretted rills；
The dumb forest quickens to song； and the little
gusts shout as they fling
A floor…cloth of orchard bloom down for the flash…
ing； quick feet of the Spring。
To the road； gipsy…heart； thou and I！ 'Tis the
mad piper； Spring； who is leading；
'Tis the pulse of his piping that throbs through
the brain； irresistibly pleading；
Full…blossomed； deep…bosomed； fain woman； light…
footed； lute…throated and fleet；
We have drunk of the wine of this Wanderer's song；
let us follow his feet！
Like raveled red girdles flung down by some
hoidenish goddess in mirth
The tangled roads reach from rim unto utter…
most rim of the earth
We will weave of these strands a strong net； we
will snare the bright wings of delight；
We will make of these strings a sweet lute that
will shame the low wind…harps of night。
The clamor of tongues and the clangor of trades
in the peevish packed street；
The arrogant； jangling Nothings； with iterant； dis…
sonant beat；
The clattering； senseless endeavor with dross of
mere gold for its goal；
These have sickened the senses and wearied the
brain and straitened the soul。
〃Come forth and be cleansed of the folly of strife
for things worthless of strife；
Come forth and gain life and grasp God by fore…
going gains worthless of life〃
It was thus spake the wizard wildwood； low…
voiced to the hearkening heart；
It was thus sang the jovial hills； and the harper
sun bore part。
O woman； whose blood as my blood with the fire
of the Spring is aflame；
We did well； when the red roads called； that we
heeded the call and came
Came forth to the sweet wise silence where soul
may speak sooth unto soul；
Vine…wreathed and vagabond Love； with the goal
of Nowhere for our goal！
What planet…crowned Dusk that wanders the
steeps of our firmament there
Hath gems that may match with the dew…opals
meshed in thine opulent hair？
What wind…witch that skims the curled billows
with feet they are fain to caress
Hath sandals so wing'd as thine art with a god…
like carelessness？
And dare we not dream this is heaven？to wan…
der thus on； ever on。
Through the hush…heavy valleys of space； up the
flushing red slopes of the dawn？
For none that seeks rest shall find rest till he
ceaseth his striving for rest；
And the gain of the quest is the joy of the road
that allures to the quest。
THE LAND OF YESTERDAY
AND I would seek the country town
Amid green meadows nestled down
If I could only find the way
Back to the Land of Yesterday！
How I would thrust the miles aside；
Rush up the quiet lane； and then；
Just where her roses laughed in pride；
Find her among the flowers again。
I'd slip in silently and wait
Until she saw me by the gate；
And then 。 。 。 read through a blur of tears
Quick pardon for the selfish years。
This time； this time； I would not wait
For that brief wire that said； Too late！
If I could only find the way
Into the Land of Yesterday。
I wonder if her roses yet
Lift up their heads and laugh with pride；
And if her phlox and mignonette
Have heart to blossom by their side；
I wonder if the dear old lane
Still chirps with robins after rain；
And if the birds and banded bees
Still rob her early cherry…trees。 。 。 。
I wonder； if I went there now；
How everything would seem； and how
But no！ not now； there is no way
Back to the Land of Yesterday。
OCTOBER
CEASE to call him sad and sober；
Merriest of months； October！
Patron of the bursting bins；
Reveler in wayside inns；
I can nowhere find a trace
Of the pensive in his face；
There is mingled wit and folly；
But the madcap lacks the grace
Of
