the children of the night-第1节
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The Children of the Night
by Edwin Arlington Robinson
A Book of Poems
To the Memory of my Father and Mother
Contents
The Children of the Night
Three Quatrains
The World
An Old Story
Ballade of a Ship
Ballade by the Fire
Ballade of Broken Flutes
Ballade of Dead Friends
Her Eyes
Two Men
Villanelle of Change
John Evereldown
Luke Havergal
The House on the Hill
Richard Cory
Two Octaves
Calvary
Dear Friends
The Story of the Ashes and the Flame
For Some Poems by Matthew Arnold
Amaryllis
Kosmos
Zola
The Pity of the Leaves
Aaron Stark
The Garden
Cliff Klingenhagen
Charles Carville's Eyes
The Dead Village
Boston
Two Sonnets
The Clerks
Fleming Helphenstine
For a Book by Thomas Hardy
Thomas Hood
The Miracle
Horace to Leuconoe
Reuben Bright
The Altar
The Tavern
Sonnet
George Crabbe
Credo
On the Night of a Friend's Wedding
Sonnet
Verlaine
Sonnet
Supremacy
The Night Before
Walt Whitman
The Chorus of Old Men in 〃Aegeus〃
The Wilderness
Octaves
Two Quatrains
Romance
The Torrent
L'Envoi
The Children of the Night
For those that never know the light；
The darkness is a sullen thing；
And they； the Children of the Night；
Seem lost in Fortune's winnowing。
But some are strong and some are weak；
And there's the story。 House and home
Are shut from countless hearts that seek
World…refuge that will never come。
And if there be no other life；
And if there be no other chance
To weigh their sorrow and their strife
Than in the scales of circumstance；
'T were better； ere the sun go down
Upon the first day we embark；
In life's imbittered sea to drown；
Than sail forever in the dark。
But if there be a soul on earth
So blinded with its own misuse
Of man's revealed； incessant worth；
Or worn with anguish； that it views
No light but for a mortal eye；
No rest but of a mortal sleep；
No God but in a prophet's lie；
No faith for 〃honest doubt〃 to keep；
If there be nothing； good or bad；
But chaos for a soul to trust；
God counts it for a soul gone mad；
And if God be God； He is just。
And if God be God； He is Love；
And though the Dawn be still so dim；
It shows us we have played enough
With creeds that make a fiend of Him。
There is one creed； and only one；
That glorifies God's excellence；
So cherish； that His will be done；
The common creed of common sense。
It is the crimson； not the gray；
That charms the twilight of all time；
It is the promise of the day
That makes the starry sky sublime；
It is the faith within the fear
That holds us to the life we curse；
So let us in ourselves revere
The Self which is the Universe！
Let us； the Children of the Night；
Put off the cloak that hides the scar！
Let us be Children of the Light；
And tell the ages what we are！
Three Quatrains
I
As long as Fame's imperious music rings
Will poets mock it with crowned words august；
And haggard men will clamber to be kings
As long as Glory weighs itself in dust。
II
Drink to the splendor of the unfulfilled；
Nor shudder for the revels that are done：
The wines that flushed Lucullus are all spilled；
The strings that Nero fingered are all gone。
III
We cannot crown ourselves with everything；
Nor can we coax the Fates for us to quarrel：
No matter what we are； or what we sing；
Time finds a withered leaf in every laurel。
The World
Some are the brothers of all humankind；
And own them； whatsoever their estate；
And some； for sorrow and self…scorn； are blind
With enmity for man's unguarded fate。
For some there is a music all day long
Like flutes in Paradise； they are so glad；
And there is hell's eternal under…song
Of curses and the cries of men gone mad。
Some say the Scheme with love stands luminous；
Some say 't were better back to chaos hurled；
And so 't is what we are that makes for us
The measure and the meaning of the world。
An Old Story
Strange that I did not know him then；
That friend of mine！
I did not even show him then
One friendly sign；
But cursed him for the ways he had
To make me see
My envy of the praise he had
For praising me。
I would have rid the earth of him
Once； in my pride！ 。 。 。
I never knew the worth of him
Until he died。
Ballade of a Ship
Down by the flash of the restless water
The dim White Ship like a white bird lay；
Laughing at life and the world they sought her；
And out she swung to the silvering bay。
Then off they flew on their roystering way；
And the keen moon fired the light foam flying
Up from the flood where the faint stars play；
And the bones of the brave in the wave are lying。
'T was a king's fair son with a king's fair daughter；
And full three hundred beside； they say；
Revelling on for the lone； cold slaughter
So soon to seize them and hide them for aye；
But they danced and they drank and their souls grew gay；
Nor ever they knew of a ghoul's eye spying
Their splendor a flickering phantom to stray
Where the bones of the brave in the wave are lying。
Through the mist of a drunken dream they brought her
（This wild white bird） for the sea…fiend's prey：
The pitiless reef in his hard clutch caught her；
And hurled her down where the dead men stay。
A torturing silence of wan dismay
Shrieks and curses of mad souls dying
Then down they sank to slumber and sway
Where the bones of the brave in the wave are lying。
ENVOY
Prince； do you sleep to the sound alway
Of the mournful surge and the sea…birds' crying？
Or does love still shudder and steel still slay；
Where the bones of the brave in the wave are lying？
Ballade by the Fire
Slowly I smoke and hug my knee；
The while a witless masquerade
Of things that only children see
Floats in a mist of light and shade：
They pass； a flimsy cavalcade；
And with a weak； remindful glow；
The falling embers break and fade；
As one by one the phantoms go。
Then； with a melancholy glee
To think where once my fancy strayed；
I muse on what the years may be
Whose coming tales are all unsaid；
Till tongs and shovel； snugly laid
Within their shadowed niches； grow
By grim degrees to pick and spade；
As one by one the phantoms go。
But then； what though the mystic Three
Around me ply their merry trade？
And Charon soon may carry me
Across the gloomy Stygian glade？
Be up； my soul！ nor be afraid
Of what some unborn year may show；
But mind your human debts are paid；
As one by one the phantoms go。
ENVOY
Life is the game that must be played：
This truth at least； good friend； we know；
So live and laugh； nor be dismayed
As one by one the phantoms go。
Ballade of Broken Flutes
（To A。 T。 Schumann。）
In dreams I crossed a barren land；
A land of ruin； far away；
Around me hung on every hand
A deathful stillness of decay；
And silent； as in bleak dismay
That song should thus forsaken be；
On that forgotten ground there lay
The broken flutes of Arcady。
The forest that was all so grand
When pipes and tabors had their sway
Stood leafless now； a ghostly band
Of skeletons in cold array。
A lonely surge of ancient spray
Told of an unforgetful sea；
But iron blows had hushed for aye
The broken flutes of Arcady。
No more by summer breezes fanned；
The place was desolate and gray；
But still my dream was to command
New life into that shrunken clay。
I tried it。 Yes； you scan to…day；
With uncommiserating glee；
The songs of one who strove to play
The broken flutes of Arcady。
ENVOY
So； Rock； I join the common fray；
To fight where Mammon may decree；
And leave； to crumble as they may；
The broken flutes of Arcady。
Ballade of Dead Friends
As we the withered ferns
By the roadway lying；
Time； the jester； spurns
All our prayers and prying
All our tears and sighing；
Sorrow； change； and woe
All our where…and…whying
For friends that come and go。
Life awakes and burns；
Age and death defying；
Till at last it learns
All but Love is dying；
Love's the trade we're plying；
God has willed it so；
Shrouds are what we're buying
For friends that come and go。
Man forever yearns
For the thing that's flying。
Everywhere he turns；
Men to dust are drying；
Dust that wanders； eying
（With eyes that hardly glow）
New faces； dimly spying
For friends that come and go。
