the home book of verse-4-第12部分
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O Jeanne; a single amber glance
Will pay him! … 〃Let's play millionaire
For just two hours … on princely fare;
At some hotel where lovers dine
A deux and pledge across the wine。〃
They find a damask breakfast…room;
Where stiff silk roses range their bloom。
The garcon has a splendid way
Of bearing in grand dejeuner。
Then to be left alone; alone;
High up above Rue Castiglione;
Curtained away from all the rude
Rumors; in silken solitude;
And; John; her head upon your knees …
Time waits for moments such as these。
Florence Wilkinson '18
〃ONE; TWO; THREE!〃
It was an old; old; old; old lady;
And a boy that was half…past three;
And the way that they played together
Was beautiful to see。
She couldn't go running and jumping;
And the boy; no more could he;
For he was a thin little fellow;
With a thin little twisted knee。
They sat in the yellow sunlight;
Out under the maple tree;
And the game that they played I'll tell you;
Just as it was told to me。
It was Hide…and…Go…Seek they were playing;
Though you'd never have known it to be …
With an old; old; old; old lady;
And a boy with a twisted knee。
The boy would bend his face down
On his one little sound right knee;
And he'd guess where she was hiding;
In guesses One; Two; Three!
〃You are in the china…closet!〃
He would cry; and laugh with glee …
It wasn't the china closet;
But he still had Two and Three。
〃You are up in papa's big bedroom;
In the chest with the queer old key!〃
And she said: 〃You are warm and warmer;
But you're not quite right;〃 said she。
〃It can't be the little cupboard
Where mamma's things used to be …
So it must be the clothes…press; Gran'ma!〃
And he found her with his Three。
Then she covered her face with her fingers;
That were wrinkled and white and wee;
And she guessed where the boy was hiding;
With a One and a Two and a Three。
And they never had stirred from their places;
Right under the maple tree …
This old; old; old; old lady
And the boy with the lame little knee …
This dear; dear; dear old lady;
And the boy who was half…past three。
Henry Cuyler Bunner '1855…1896'
THE CHAPERON
I take my chaperon to the play …
She thinks she's taking me。
And the gilded youth who owns the box;
A proud young man is he;
But how would his young heart be hurt
If he could only know
That not for his sweet sake I go
Nor yet to see the trifling show;
But to see my chaperon flirt。
Her eyes beneath her snowy hair
They sparkle young as mine;
There's scarce a wrinkle in her hand
So delicate and fine。
And when my chaperon is seen;
They come from everywhere …
The dear old boys with silvery hair;
With old…time grace and old…time air;
To greet their old…time queen。
They bow as my young Midas here
Will never learn to bow
(The dancing…masters do not teach
That gracious reverence now);
With voices quavering just a bit;
They play their old parts through;
They talk of folk who used to woo;
Of hearts that broke in 'fifty…two …
Now none the worse for it。
And as those aged crickets chirp;
I watch my chaperon's face;
And see the dear old features take
A new and tender grace;
And in her happy eyes I see
Her youth awakening bright;
With all its hope; desire; delight …
Ah; me! I wish that I were quite
As young … as young as she!
Henry Cuyler Bunner '1855…1896'
〃A PITCHER OF MIGNONETTE〃
A pitcher of mignonette
In a tenement's highest casement; …
Queer sort of flower…pot … yet
That pitcher of mignonette
Is a garden in heaven set;
To the little sick child in the basement …
The pitcher of mignonette;
In the tenement's highest casement。
Henry Cuyler Bunner '1855…1896'
OLD KING COLE
In Tilbury Town did Old King Cole
A wise old age anticipate;
Desiring; with his pipe and bowl;
No Khan's extravagant estate。
No crown annoyed his honest head;
No fiddlers three were called or needed;
For two disastrous heirs instead
Made music more that ever three did。
Bereft of her with whom his life
Was harmony without a flaw;
He took no other for a wife;
Nor sighed for any that he saw;
And if he doubted his two sons;
And heirs; Alexis and Evander;
He might have been as doubtful once
Of Robert Burns and Alexander。
Alexis; in his early youth;
Began to steal … from old and young。
Likewise Evander; and the truth
Was like a bad taste on his tongue。
Born thieves and liars; their affair
Seemed only to be tarred with evil …
The most insufferable pair
Of scamps that ever cheered the devil。
The world went on; their fame went on;
And they went on … from bad to worse;
Till; goaded hot with nothing done;
And each accoutered with a curse;
The friends of Old King Cole; by twos;
And fours; and sevens; and elevens;
Pronounced unalterable views
Of doings that were not of Heaven's。
And having learned again whereby
Their baleful zeal had come about;
King Cole met many a wrathful eye
So kindly that its wrath went out …
Or partly out。 Say what they would;
He seemed the more to court their candor;
But never told what kind of good
Was in Alexis and Evander。
And Old King Cole; with many a puff
That haloed his urbanity;
Would smoke till he had smoked enough;
And listen most attentively。
He beamed as with an inward light
That had the Lord's assurance in it;
And once a man was there all night;
Expecting something every minute。
But whether from too little thought;
Or too much fealty to the bowl;
A dim reward was all he got
For sitting up with Old King Cole。
〃Though mine;〃 the father mused aloud;
〃Are not the sons I would have chosen;
Shall I; less evilly endowed;
By their infirmity be frozen?
〃They'll have a bad end; I'll agree;
But I was never born to groan;
For I can see what I can see;
And I'm accordingly alone。
With open heart and open door;
I love my friends; I like my neighbors;
But if I try to tell you more;
Your doubts will overmatch my labors。
〃This pipe would never make me calm;
This bowl my grief would never drown。
For grief like mine there is no balm
In Gilead; or in Tilbury Town。
And if I see what I can see;
I know not any way to blind it;
Nor more if any way may be
For you to grope or fly to find it。
〃There may be room for ruin yet;
And ashes for a wasted love;
Or; like One whom you may forget;
I may have meat you know not of。
And if I'd rather live than weep
Meanwhile; do you find that surprising?
Why; bless my soul; the man's asleep!
That's good。 The sun will soon be rising。〃
Edwin Arlington Robinson '1869…1935'
THE MASTER MARINER
My grandshire sailed three years from home;
And slew unmoved the sounding whale:
Here on the windless beach I roam
And watch far out the hardy sail。
The lions of the surf that cry
Upon this lion…colored shore
On reefs of midnight met his eye:
He knew their fangs as I their roar。
My grandsire sailed uncharted seas;
And toll of all their leagues he took:
I scan the shallow bays at ease;
And tell their colors in a book。
The anchor…chains his music made
And wind in shrouds and running…gear:
The thrush at dawn beguiles my glade;
And once; 'tis said; I woke to hear。
My grandsire in his ample fist
The long harpoon upheld to men:
Behold obedient to my wrist
A gray gull's…feather for my pen!
Upon my grandsire's leathern cheek
Five zones their bitter bronze had set:
Some day their hazards I will seek;
I promise me at times。 Not yet。
I think my grandsire now would turn
A mild but speculative eye
On me; my pen and its concern;
Then gaze again to sea … and sigh。
George Sterling '1869…1926'
A ROSE TO THE LIVING
A rose to the living is more
Than sumptuous wreaths to the dead:
In filling love's infinite store;
A rose to the living is more; …
If graciously given before
The hungering spirit is fled; …
A rose to the living is more
Than sumptuous wreaths to the dead。
Nixon Waterman '1859…
A KISS
Rose kissed me to…day。
Will she kiss me to…morrow?
Let it be as it may;
Rose kissed me to…day
But the pleasure gives way
To a savor of sorrow; …
Rose kissed me to…day; …
Will she kiss me to…morrow?
Austin Dobson '1840…1921'
BIFTEK AUX CHAMPIGNONS
Mimi; do you remember …
Don't get behind your fan …
That morning in September
On the cliffs of Grand Manan;
Where to the shock of Fundy
The topmost harebells sway
(Campanula rotundi…
folia: cf。 Gray)?
On the pastures high and level;
That overlook the sea;
Where I wondered what the devil
Those little things could be
That Mimi stooped to gather;
As she strolled across the down;
And held her dress skirt rather …
Oh; now; you need n't frown。
For you know the dew was heavy;
And your boots; I know; were thin;
So a little extra brevi…
ty in skirts was; sure; no sin。
Besides; who minds a cousin?
First; second; even third; …
I've kissed 'em by the dozen;
And they never once demurred。
〃If one's allowed to ask it;〃
Quoth I; 〃 ma belle cousine;
What have you in your basket?〃
(Those baskets white and green
The brave Passamaquoddies
Weave out of scented grass;
And sell to tourist bodies
Who through Mt。 Desert pass。)
You answered; slightly frowning;
〃Put down your stupid book …
That everlasting Browning! …
And come and help me look。
Mushroom you spik him English;
I call him champignon:
I'll teach you to distinguish
The right kind from the wrong。〃
There was no fog on Fundy
That blue September day;
The west wind; for that one day;
Had swept it all away。
The lighthouse glasses twinkled;
The white gulls screamed and flew;
The merry shee