songs of travel-第3节
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Farewell； fair day。 If any God
At all consider this poor clod；
He who the fair occasion sent
Prepared and placed the impediment。
Let him diviner vengeance take …
Give me to sleep； give me to wake
Girded and shod； and bid me play
The hero in the coming day！
XXV … IF THIS WERE FAITH
GOD； if this were enough；
That I see things bare to the buff
And up to the buttocks in mire；
That I ask nor hope nor hire；
Nut in the husk；
Nor dawn beyond the dusk；
Nor life beyond death：
God； if this were faith？
Having felt thy wind in my face
Spit sorrow and disgrace；
Having seen thine evil doom
In Golgotha and Khartoum；
And the brutes； the work of thine hands；
Fill with injustice lands
And stain with blood the sea：
If still in my veins the glee
Of the black night and the sun
And the lost battle； run：
If； an adept；
The iniquitous lists I still accept
With joy； and joy to endure and be withstood；
And still to battle and perish for a dream of good：
God； if that were enough？
If to feel； in the ink of the slough；
And the sink of the mire；
Veins of glory and fire
Run through and transpierce and transpire；
And a secret purpose of glory in every part；
And the answering glory of battle fill my heart；
To thrill with the joy of girded men
To go on for ever and fail and go on again；
And be mauled to the earth and arise；
And contend for the shade of a word and a thing not seen with
the eyes：
With the half of a broken hope for a pillow at night
That somehow the right is the right
And the smooth shall bloom from the rough：
Lord； if that were enough？
XXVI … MY WIFE
TRUSTY； dusky； vivid； true；
With eyes of gold and bramble…dew；
Steel…true and blade…straight；
The great artificer
Made my mate。
Honour； anger； valour； fire；
A love that life could never tire；
Death quench or evil stir；
The mighty master
Gave to her。
Teacher； tender； comrade； wife；
A fellow…farer true through life；
Heart…whole and soul…free
The august father
Gave to me。
XXVII … TO THE MUSE
RESIGN the rhapsody； the dream；
To men of larger reach；
Be ours the quest of a plain theme；
The piety of speech。
As monkish scribes from morning break
Toiled till the close of light；
Nor thought a day too long to make
One line or letter bright：
We also with an ardent mind；
Time； wealth； and fame forgot；
Our glory in our patience find
And skim； and skim the pot：
Till last； when round the house we hear
The evensong of birds；
One corner of blue heaven appear
In our clear well of words。
Leave； leave it then； muse of my heart！
Sans finish and sans frame；
Leave unadorned by needless art
The picture as it came。
XXVIII … TO AN ISLAND PRINCESS
SINCE long ago； a child at home；
I read and longed to rise and roam；
Where'er I went； whate'er I willed；
One promised land my fancy filled。
Hence the long roads my home I made；
Tossed much in ships； have often laid
Below the uncurtained sky my head；
Rain…deluged and wind…buffeted：
And many a thousand hills I crossed
And corners turned … Love's labour lost；
Till； Lady； to your isle of sun
I came； not hoping； and； like one
Snatched out of blindness； rubbed my eyes；
And hailed my promised land with cries。
Yes； Lady； here I was at last；
Here found I all I had forecast：
The long roll of the sapphire sea
That keeps the land's virginity；
The stalwart giants of the wood
Laden with toys and flowers and food；
The precious forest pouring out
To compass the whole town about；
The town itself with streets of lawn；
Loved of the moon； blessed by the dawn；
Where the brown children all the day
Keep up a ceaseless noise of play；
Play in the sun； play in the rain；
Nor ever quarrel or complain； …
And late at night； in the woods of fruit；
Hark！ do you hear the passing flute？
I threw one look to either hand；
And knew I was in Fairyland。
And yet one point of being so
I lacked。 For； Lady （as you know）；
Whoever by his might of hand；
Won entrance into Fairyland；
Found always with admiring eyes
A Fairy princess kind and wise。
It was not long I waited； soon
Upon my threshold； in broad noon；
Gracious and helpful； wise and good；
The Fairy Princess Moe stood。
Tantira； Tahiti； Nov。 5； 1888。
XXIX … TO KALAKAUA （With a present of a Pearl）
THE Silver Ship； my King … that was her name
In the bright islands whence your fathers came …
The Silver Ship； at rest from winds and tides；
Below your palace in your harbour rides：
And the seafarers； sitting safe on shore；
Like eager merchants count their treasures o'er。
One gift they find； one strange and lovely thing；
Now doubly precious since it pleased a king。
The right； my liege； is ancient as the lyre
For bards to give to kings what kings admire。
'Tis mine to offer for Apollo's sake；
And since the gift is fitting； yours to take。
To golden hands the golden pearl I bring：
The ocean jewel to the island king。
Honolulu； Feb。 3； 1889。
XXX … TO PRINCESS KAIULANI
＇Written in April to Kaiulani in the April of her age； and at
Waikiki； within easy walk of Kaiulani's banyan！ When she comes to my
land and her father's； and the rain beats upon the window （as I fear
it will）； let her look at this page； it will be like a weed gathered
and pressed at home； and she will remember her own islands； and the
shadow of the mighty tree； and she will hear the peacocks screaming
in the dusk and the wind blowing in the palms； and she will think of
her father sitting there alone。 … R。 L。 S。＇
FORTH from her land to mine she goes；
The island maid； the island rose；
Light of heart and bright of face：
The daughter of a double race。
Her islands here； in Southern sun；
Shall mourn their Kaiulani gone；
And I； in her dear banyan shade；
Look vainly for my little maid。
But our Scots islands far away
Shall glitter with unwonted day；
And cast for once their tempests by
To smile in Kaiulani's eye。
Honolulu。
XXXI … TO MOTHER MARYANNE
To see the infinite pity of this place；
The mangled limb； the devastated face；
The innocent sufferer smiling at the rod …
A fool were tempted to deny his God。
He sees； he shrinks。 But if he gaze again；
Lo； beauty springing from the breast of pain！
He marks the sisters on the mournful shores；
And even a fool is silent and adores。
Guest House； Kalawao； Molokai。
XXXII … IN MEMORIAM E。 H。
I KNEW a silver head was bright beyond compare；
I knew a queen of toil with a crown of silver hair。
Garland of valour and sorrow； of beauty and renown；
Life； that honours the brave； crowned her himself with the crown。
The beauties of youth are frail； but this was a jewel of age。
Life； that delights in the brave； gave it himself for a gage。
Fair was the crown to behold； and beauty its poorest part …
At once the scar of the wound and the order pinned on the heart。
The beauties of man are frail； and the silver lies in the dust；
And the queen that we call to mind sleeps with the brave and the just；
Sleeps with the weary at length； but； honoured and ever fair；
Shines in the eye of the mind the crown of the silver hair。
Honolulu。
XXXIII … TO MY WIFE （A Fragment）
LONG must elapse ere you behold again
Green forest frame the entry of the lane …
The wild lane with the bramble and the brier；
The year…old cart…tracks perfect in the mire；
The wayside smoke； perchance； the dwarfish huts；
And ramblers' donkey drinking from the ruts： …
Long ere you trace how deviously it leads；
Back from man's chimneys and the bleating meads
To the woodland shadow； to the sylvan hush；
When but the brooklet chuckles in the brush …
Back from the sun and bustle of the vale
To where the great voice of the nightingale
Fills all the forest like a single room；
And all the banks smell of the golden broom；
So wander on until the eve descends。
And back returning to your firelit friends；
You see the rosy sun； despoiled of light；
Hung； caught in thickets； like a schoolboy's kite。
Here from the sea the unfruitful sun shall rise；
Bathe the bare deck and blind the unshielded eyes；
The allotted hours aloft shall wheel in vain
And in the unpregnant ocean plunge again。
Assault of squalls that mock the watchful guard；
And pluck the bursting canvas from the yard；
And senseless clamour of the calm； at night
Must mar your slumbers。 By the plunging light；
In beetle…haunted； most unwomanly bower
Of the wild…swerving cabin； hour by hour 。 。 。
Schooner 'Equator。'
XXXIV … TO MY OLD FAMILIARS
DO you remember … can we e'er forget？ …
How； in the coiled…perplexities of youth；
In our wild climate； in our scowling town；
We gloomed and shi
