LET me go forth, and share |
|
The overflowing Sun |
|
With one wise friend, or one |
|
Better than wise, being fair, |
|
Where the pewit wheels and dips |
5 |
On heights of bracken and ling, |
|
And Earth, unto her leaflet tips, |
|
Tingles with the Spring. |
|
|
What is so sweet and dear |
|
As a prosperous morn in May, |
10 |
The confident prime of the day, |
|
And the dauntless youth of the year, |
|
When nothing that asks for bliss, |
|
Asking aright, is denied, |
|
And half of the world a bridegroom is, |
15 |
And half of the world a bride? |
|
|
The Song of Mingling flows, |
|
Grave, ceremonial, pure, |
|
As once, from lips that endure, |
|
The cosmic descant rose, |
20 |
When the temporal lord of life, |
|
Going his golden way, |
|
Had taken a wondrous maid to wife |
|
That long had said him nay. |
|
|
For of old the Sun, our sire, |
25 |
Came wooing the mother of men, |
|
Earth, that was virginal then, |
|
Vestal fire to his fire. |
|
Silent her bosom and coy, |
|
But the strong god sued and press’d; |
30 |
And born of their starry nuptial joy |
|
Are all that drink of her breast. |
|
|
And the triumph of him that begot, |
|
And the travail of her that bore, |
|
Behold they are evermore |
35 |
As warp and weft in our lot. |
|
We are children of splendour and flame, |
|
Of shuddering, also, and tears. |
|
Magnificent out of the dust we came, |
|
And abject from the Spheres. |
40 |
|
O bright irresistible lord! |
|
We are fruit of Earth’s womb, each one, |
|
And fruit of thy loins, O Sun, |
|
Whence first was the seed outpour’d. |
|
To thee as our Father we bow, |
45 |
Forbidden thy Father to see, |
|
Who is older and greater than thou, as thou |
|
Art greater and older than we. |
|
|
Thou art but as a word of his speech; |
|
Thou art but as a wave of his hand; |
50 |
Thou art brief as a glitter of sand |
|
‘Twixt tide and tide on his beach; |
|
Thou art less than a spark of his fire, |
|
Or a moment’s mood of his soul: |
|
Thou art lost in the notes on the lips of his choir |
55 |
That chant the chant of the Whole. |