The mellow'd reflex of a winter moon; A clear stream flowing with a muddy one, Till in its onward current it absorbs
With swifter movement and in purer (light
The vexed eddies of its wayward brother: A leaning and upbearing parasite, Clothing the stem, which else had fallen (quite,
With cluster'd flower-bells and ambrosial (orbs
Of rich fruit-bunches leaning on each (other
Shadow forth thee:-the world hath not (another
(Tho' all her fairest forms are types of thee, And thou of God in thy great charity) Of such a finish'd chasten'd purity.
"Mariana in the moated grange." - Measure for Measure.
WITH blackest moss the flower-plots Were thickly crusted, one and all: The rusted nails fell from the knots That held the pear to the gable-wall. The broken sheds look'd sad and strange: Unlifted was the clinking latch; Weeded and worn the ancient thatch
Upon the lonely moated grange.
She only said,,,My life is dreary, He cometh not," she said; She said, I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!" Her tears fell with the dews at even; Her tears fell ere the dews were dried; She could not look on the sweet heaven, Either at morn or eventide. After the flitting of the bats,
When thickest dark did trance the sky, She drew her casement-curtain by, And glanced athwart the glooming flats.
She only said, "The night is dreary,
He cometh not," she said; She said, "I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!"
Upon the middle of the night, Waking she heard the night-fowl crow: The cock sung out an hour ere light:
From the dark fen the oxen's low Came to her: without hope of change,
In sleep she seem'd to walk forlorn, Till cold winds woke the gray-eyed morn About the lonely moated grange.
She only said,,,The day is dreary, He cometh not," she said; She said, I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!"
About a stone-cast from the wall
A sluice with blacken'd waters slept, And o'er it many, round and small, The cluster'd marish-mosses crept. Hard by a poplar shook alway,
All silver-green with gnarled bark: For leagues no other tree did mark The level waste, the rounding gray.
She only said,,,My life is dreary,
He cometh not," she said; She said,,,I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!" And ever when the moon was low, And the shrill winds were up and In the white curtain, to and fro,
She saw the gusty shadow sway. But when the moon was very low, And wild winds bound within their cell, The shadow of the poplar fell
Upon her bed, across her brow.
She only said, "The night is dreary, He cometh not," she said; She said, "I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!"
All day within the dreamy house,
The doors upon their hinges creak'd; The blue fly sung in the pane; the mouse Behind the mouldering wainscot shriek❜d, Or from the crevice peer'd about.
Old faces glimmer'd thro' the doors, Old footsteps trod the upper floors, Old voices called her from without.
She only said,,,My life is dreary,
He cometh not," she said; She said, "I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead!" The sparrow's chirrup on the roof,
Delicious spites and darling angers, And airy forms of flitting change.
Smiling, frowning, evermore, Thou art perfect in love-lore. Revealings deep and clear are thine Of wealthy smiles: but who may know Whether smile or frown be fleeter? Whether smile or frown be sweeter, Who may know?
Frowns perfect-sweet along the brow Light-glooming over eyes divine, Like little clouds sun-fringed, are thine, Ever varying Madeline.
Thy smile and frown are not aloof From one another,
Each to each is dearest brother; Hues of the silken sheeny woof Momently shot into each other. All the mystery is thine; Smiling, frowning, evermore, Thou art perfect in love-lore, Ever varying Madeline.
A subtle, sudden-flame, By veering passion fann'd,
About thee breaks and dances; When I would kiss thy hand, The flush of anger'd shame
O'erflows thy calmer glances, And o'er black brows drops down A sudden-curved frown: But when I turn away, Thou, willing me to stay,
Wooest not, nor vainly wranglest; But, looking fixedly the while, All my bounding heart entanglest In a golden-netted smile; If my lips should dare to kiss Then in madness and in bliss, Thy taper fingers amorously, Again thou blushest angerly; And o'er black brows drops drown A sudden-curved frown.
When merry milkmaids click the latch, And rarely smells the new-mown hay, And the cock hath sung beneath the thatch Twice or thrice his roundelay, Twice or thrice his roundelay;
Alone and warming his five wits, The white owl in the belfry sits.
SECOND SONG.
TO THE SAME.
THY tuwhits are lull'd, I wot, Thy tuwhoos of yesternight, Which upon the dark afloat, So took echo with delight, So took echo with delight, That her voice untuneful grown, Wears all day a fainter tone.
I would mock thy chaunt anew; But I cannot mimick it;
Not a whit of thy tuwhoo, Thee to woo to thy tuwhit, Thee to woo to thy tuwhit,
With a lengthen❜d loud halloo, Tuwhoo, tuwhit, tuwhit, tuwhoo-o-o.
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS. WHEN the breeze of a joyful dawn blew free In the silken sail of infancy, The tide of time flow'd back with me,
The forward-flowing tide of time; And many a sheeny summer-morn, Adown the Tigris I was borne, By Bagdat's shrines of fretted gold. High-walled gardens green and old; True Mussulman was I and sworn, For it was in the golden prime Of good Haroun Alraschid. Anight my shallop, rustling thro' The low and bloomed foliage, drove The fragrant, glistening deeps, and clove The citron-shadows in the blue; By garden porches on the brim, The costly doors flung open wide, Gold glittering thro' lamplight dim, And broider'd sofas on each side:
In sooth it was a goodly time, For it was in the golden prime
Of good Haroun Alraschid. Often, where clear-stemm'd platans guard
The outlet, did I turn away
The boat-head down a broad canal From the main river sluiced, where all The sloping of the moon-lit sward Was damask-work, and deep inlay Of braided blooms unmown, which crept Adown to where the water slept. A goodly place, a goodly time. For is was in the golden prime Of good Haroun Alraschid.
A motion from the river won Ridged the smooth level, bearing on My shallop thro' the star-strown calm, Until another night in night
I enter'd, from the clearer light, Imbower'd vaults of pillar'd palm, Imprisoning sweets, which, as they clomb Heavenward, were stay'd beneath the dome Of hollow boughs. A goodly time, For it was in the golden prime
Of good Haroun Alraschid. Still onward; and the clear canal Is rounded to as clear a lake. From the green rivage many a fall Of diamond rillets musical, Thro' little crystal arches low Down from the central fountain's flow Fall'n silver-chiming, seem'd to shake The sparkling flints beneath the prow. A goodly place, a goodly time, For it was in the golden prime Of good Haroun Alraschid. Above thro' many a bowery turn A walk with vary-colour'd shells Wander'd engrain'd. On either side All round about the fragrant marge From fluted vase, and brazen urn In order, eastern flowers large, Some dropping low their crimson bells Half-closed, and others studded wide With disks and tiars, fed the time. With odour in the golden prime Of good Haroun Alraschid. Far off, and where the lemon grove In closest coverture upsprung, The living airs of middle night Died round the bulbul as he sung; Not he: but something which possess'd The darkness of the world, delight, Life, anguish, death, immortal love, Ceasing not, mingled, unrepress'd,
Apart from place, withholding time,
But flattering the golden prime
Of good Haroun Alraschid. Black the garden-bowers and grots Slumber'd: the solemn palms were ranged Above, unwoo'd of summer wind: A sudden splendour from behind Flush'd all the leaves with rich gold-green, And, flowing rapidly between Their interspaces, counterchanged The level lake with diamond plots Of dark and bright. A lovely time, For it was in the golden prime
Of good Haroun Alraschid. Dark-blue the deep sphere overhead, Distinct with vivid stars inlaid, Grew darker from that under-flame: So, leaping lightly from the boat, With silver anchor left afloat, In marvel whence that glory came Upon me, as in sleep I sank In cool soft turf upon the bank, Entranced with that place and time, So worthy of the golden prime
Of good Haroun Alraschid. Thence thro' the garden I was drawn A realm of pleasance, many a mound, And many a shadow-chequer'd lawn Full of the city's stilly sound, And deep myrrh-thickets blowing round The stately cedar, tamarisks, Thick rosaries of scented thorn, Tall orient shrubs, and obelisks Graven with emblems of the time, In honour of the golden prime Of good Haroun Alraschid. With dazed vision unawares From the long alley's latticed shade Emerged, I came upon the great Pavilion of the Caliphat.
Right to the carven cedarn doors, Flung inward over spangled floors, Broad-based flights of marble stairs Ran up with golden balustrade, After the fashion of the time, And humour of the golden prime Of good Haroun Alraschid. The fourscore windows all alight As with the quintessence of flame, A million tapers flaring bright From twisted silvers look'd to shame The hollow- vaulted dark, and stream'd Upon the mooned domes aloof
In inmost Bagdat, till there seem'd Hundreds of crescents on the roof
Of night new-risen,that marvellous time To celebrate the golden prime
Of good Haroun Alraschid. Then stole I up, and trancedly Gazed on the Persian girl alone, Serene with argent-lidded eyes Amorous, and lashes like to rays Of darkness, and a brow of pearl Tressed with redolent ebony, In many a dark delicious curl, Flowing beneath her rose-bued zone; The sweetest lady of the time, Well worthy of the golden prime Of good Haroun Alraschid.
Six columns, three on either side, Pure silver, underpropt a rich Throne of the massive ore, from which Down-droop'd, in many a floating fold, Engarlanded and diaper'd With inwrought flowers, a cloth of gold. Thereon, his deep eye laughter-stirr'd With merriment of kingly pride,
Sole star of all that place and time, I saw him in his golden prime, THE GOOD HAROUN ALRASCHID!
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