dreams & dust-第11节
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Broadened the bounded spirit's scope？
Or died to make the dull world hope？〃
Must man still be the slave of Use？
But these men； careless and elate；
Join battle with a burly world
Or come to wrestling grips with fate；
And not for any good nor gain
Nor any fame that may befall
But； thrilling in the clutch of life；
Heed the loud challenge and the call；
And grown to symbols at the last；
Stand in heroic silhouette
Against horizons ultimate；
As towers that front lost seas are set；
The reckless gesture； the strong pose；
Sharp battle…cry flung back to Earth；
And buoyant humor； as a god
Might say： 〃Lo； here my feet have trod！〃
There lies the meaning and the worth！
They bring no golden treasure home；
They win no acres for their clan；
Nor dream nor deed of theirs shall mend
The ills of man's bedeviled span
Nor are they skilled in sleights of speech；
（Nor overeager） to make plain
The use they serve； transcending use；
The gain beyond apparent gain！
EARLY AUTUMN
WITH half…hearted levies of frost that make foray；
retire； and refrain
Ambiguous bugles that blow and that falter to
silence again
With banners of mist that still waver above them；
advance and retreat；
The hosts of the Autumn still hide in the hills；
for a doubt stays their feet；
But anon； with a barbaric splendor to dazzle the
eyes that behold；
And regal in raiment of purple and umber and
amber and gold；
And girt with the glamor of conquest and scarved
with red symbols of pride；
From the hills in their might and their mirth on
the steeds of the wind will they ride；
To make sport and make spoil of the Summer；
who dwells in a dream on the plain；
Still tented in opulent ease in the camps of her
indolent train。
〃TIME STEALS FROM LOVE〃
TIME steals from Love all but Love's wings；
And how should aught but evil things；
Or any good but death； befall
Him that is thrall unto Time's thrall；
Slave to the lesser of these Kings？
O heart of youth that wakes and sings！
O golden vows and golden rings！
Life mocks you with the tale of all
Time steals from Love！
O riven lute and writhen strings；
Dead bough whereto no blossom clings；
The glory was ephemeral！
Nor may our Autumn grief recall
The passion of the perished Springs
Time steals from Love！
THE RONDEAU
YOUR rondeau's tale must still be light
No bugle…call to life's stern fight！
Rather a smiling interlude
Memorial to some transient mood
Of idle love and gala…night。
Its manner is the merest sleight
O' hand； yet therein dwells its might；
For if the heavier touch intrude
Your rondeau's stale。
Fragrant and fragile； fleet and bright；
And wing'd with whim； it gleams in flight
Like April blossoms wind…pursued
Down aisles of tangled underwood；
Nor be too serious when you write
Your rondeau's tail！
VISITORS
THEY haunt me； they tease me with hinted
Withheld revelations；
The songs that I may not utter；
They lead me； they flatter； they woo me。
I follow； I follow； I snatch
At the veils of their secrets in vain
For lo！ they have left me and vanished；
The songs that I cannot sing。
There are visions elusive that come
With a quiver and shimmer of wings；
Shapes shadows and shapes； and the murmur
Of voices；
Shapes； that out of the twilight
Leap； and with gesture appealing
Seem to deliver a message；
And are gone 'twixt a breath and a breath；
Shapes that race in with the waves
Moving silverly under the moon；
And are gone ere they break into foam on the rocks
And recede；
Breathings of love from invisible
Flutes；
Blown somewhere out in the tender
Dusk；
That die on the bosom of Silence；
Formless；
And fleeter than thought；
Vaguer than thought or emotion；
What are these visitors？
Out of the vast and uncharted
Realms that encircle the visible world；
With a glimmer of light on their pinions；
They rush 。 。 。
They waver； they vanish；
Leaving me stirred with a dream of the ultimate
beauty；
A sense of the ultimate music；
I never shall capture；
They are Beauty；
Formless and tremulous Beauty；
Beauty unborn；
Beauty as yet unappareled
In thought；
Beauty that hesitates；
Falters；
Withdraws from the verge of birth；
Flutters；
Retreats from the portals of life；
O Beauty for ever uncaptured！
O songs that I never shall sing！
THE PARTING
WE have come 〃the primrose way；〃
Folly； thou and I！
Such a glamor and a grace
Ever glimmered on thy face；
Ever such a witchery
Lit the laughing eyes of thee；
Could a fool like me withstand
Folly's feast and beckoning hand？
Drinking； how thy lips' caress
Spiced the cup of waywardness！
So we came 〃the primrose way；〃
Folly； thou and I！
But now； Folly； we must part；
Folly； thou and I！
Shall one look with mirth or tears
Back on all his wasted years；
Purposes dissolved in wine；
Pearls flung to the heedless swine？
Idle days and nights of mirth；
Were they pleasures nothing worth？
Well； there's no gainsaying we
Squandered youth right merrily！
But now； Folly； we must part；
Folly； thou and I！
AN OPEN FIRE
THESE logs with drama and with dream are rife；
For all their golden Summers and green Springs
Through leaf and root they sucked the forest's life；
Drank in its secret； deep； essential things；
Its midwood moods； its mystic runes；
Its breathing hushes stirred of faery wings；
Its August nights and April noons；
The garnered fervors of forgotten Junes
Flare forth again and waste away；
And in the sap that leaps and sings
We hear again the chant the cricket flings
Across the hawthorn…scented dusks of May。
REALITIES
REALITIES
WE are deceived by the shadow； we see not the
substance of things。
For the hills are less solid than thought； and
deeds are but vapors； and flesh
Is a mist thrown off and resumed by the soul； as
a world by a god。
Back of the transient appearance dwells in inef…
fable calm
The utter reality； ultimate truth； this seems and
that is。
THE STRUGGLE
I HAVE been down in a dark valley；
I have been groping through a deep gorge；
Far above； the lips of it were rimmed with moon…
light；
And here and there the light lay on the dripping
rocks
So that it seemed they dripped with moonlight；
not with water；
So deep it was； that narrow gash among the hills；
That those great pines which fringed its edge
Seemed to me no larger than upthrust fingers
Silhouetted against the sky；
And at its top the vale was strait；
And the rays were slant
And reached but part way down the sides；
I could not see the moon itself；
I walked through darkness； and the valley's edge
Seemed almost level with the stars；
The stars that were like fireflies in the little trees。
It was the midnight of defeat；
I felt that I had failed；
I was mocked of the gods；
There was no way out of that gorge；
The paths led no whither
And I could not remember their beginnings；
I was doomed to wander evermore；
Thirsty； with the sound of mocking waters in
mine ears；
Groping； with gleams of useless light
Splashed in ironic beauty on the rocks above。
And so I whined。
And then despair flashed into rage；
I leapt erect； and cried：
〃Could I but grasp my life as sculptors grasp the clay
And knead and thrust it into shape again！
If all the scorn of Heaven were but thrown
Into the focus of some creature I could clutch！
If something tangible were but vouchsafed me
By the cold； far gods！
If they but sent a Reason for the failure of my life
I'd answer it；
If they but sent a Fiend； I'd conquer it！
But I reach out； and grasp the air；
I rage； and the brute rock echoes my words in
mockery
How can one fight the sliding moonlight on the cliffs？
You gods； coward gods；
Come down； I challenge you！
You who set snares with roses and with passion；
You who make flesh beautiful and damn men through
the flesh；
You who plump the purple grape and then put poison
in the cup；
You who put serpents in your Edens；
You who gave me delight of my senses and broke me
for it；
You who have mingled death with beauty；
You who have put into my blood the impulses for
which you cursed me；
You who permitted my brain the doubts wherefore
you damn me；
Behold； I doubt you； gods； no longer； but defy！
I perish here？
Then I will be slain of a god！
You who have wrapped me in the scorn of your silence；
The divinity in this same dust you flout
i》Flames through the dust；
And dares；
And flings you back your scorn；
Come； face to face； a
