THE SLEEPING BEAUTY. Year after year unto her feet, The maiden's jet-black hair has grown, On either side her trancéd form Forth streaming from a braid of pearl: The slumbrous light is rich and warm, And moves not on the rounded curl. The silk star-broidered coverlid Unto her limbs itself doth mould Languidly ever; and, amid Her full black ringlets downward rolled, Glows forth each softly-shadowed arm With bracelets of the diamond bright: Her constant beauty doth inform Stillness with love, and day with light. She sleeps: her breathings are not heard THE ARRIVAL. All precious things, discovered late, He travels far from other skies His mantle glitters on the rocks— A fairy Prince, with joyful eyes, The bodies and the bones of those They perished in their daring deeds." This proverb flashes through his head, "The many fail: the one succeeds." He comes, scarce knowing what he seeks : He breaks the hedge: he enters there : The color flies into his cheeks: He trusts to light on something fair; More close and close his footsteps wind; He stoops-to kiss her on his knee. "Love, if thy tresses be so dark, How dark those hidden eyes must be!" THE REVIVAL. A touch, a kiss! the charm was snapt. There rose a noise of striking clocks, And feet that ran, and doors that clapt, And barking dogs, and crowing cocks; A fuller light illumined all, A breeze through all the garden swept, A sudden hubbub shook the hall, The hedge broke in, the banner blew, The parrot screamed, the peacock squalled, The maid and page renewed their strife, The palace banged, and buzzed and clackt, And all the long-pent stream of life Dashed downward in a cataract. And last with these the king awoke, "Pardy," returned the king, "but still THE DEPARTURE. And on her lover's arm she leant, And deep into the dying day "I'd sleep another hundred years, O love, for such another kiss; "O wake forever, love," she hears, "O love, 'twas such as this and this." And o'er them many a sliding star, And many a merry wind was borne, And, streamed through many a golden bar, The twilight melted into morn. "O eyes long laid in happy sleep!" "O happy sleep, that lightly fled!" "O happy kiss, that woke thy sleep!" "O love, thy kiss would wake the dead!" And o'er them many a flowing range Of vapor buoyed the crescent-bark, And, rapt through many a rosy change, The twilight died into the dark. "A hundred summers! can it be? And whither goest thou, tell me where!" “O seek my father's court with me, For there are greater wonders there." And o'er the hills, and far away Beyond their utmost purple rim, Beyond the night, across the day, Through all the world she followed him. MORAL. So, Lady Flora, take my lay, O, to what uses shall we put The wildweed-flower that simply blows? And is there any moral shut Within the bosom of the rose? But any man that walks the mead A meaning suited to his mind. In Art like Nature, dearest friend; So 'twere to cramp its use, if I Should hook it to some useful end. L'ENVOL. You shake your head. A random string To silence from the paths of men; And learn the world, and sleep again; To sleep through terms of mighty wars, And wake on science grown to more, On secrets of the brain, the stars, As wild as aught of fairy lore; And all that else the years will show, The Poet-forms of stronger hours, The vast Republics that may grow, The Federations and the Powers; Titanic forces taking birth In divers seasons, divers climes; For we are Ancients of the earth, And in the morning of the times. |