the home book of verse-4-第15部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
With pious care perverted;
Grew in the same grim shapes; and still
The lipless dolphin spurted;
Still in his wonted state abode
The broken…nosed Apollo;
And still the cypress…arbor showed
The same umbrageous hollow。
Only; … as fresh young Beauty gleams
From coffee…colored laces;
So peeped from its old…fashioned dreams
The fresher modern traces;
For idle mallet; hoop; and ball
Upon the lawn were lying;
A magazine; a tumbled shawl;
Round which the swifts were flying;
And; tossed beside the Guelder rose;
A heap of rainbow knitting;
Where; blinking in her pleased repose;
A Persian cat was sitting。
〃A place to love in; … live; … for aye;
If we too; like Tithonus;
Could find some God to stretch the gray
Scant life the Fates have thrown us;
〃But now by steam we run our race;
With buttoned heart and pocket;
Our Love's a gilded; surplus grace; …
Just like an empty locket!
〃'The time is out of joint。' Who will;
May strive to make it better;
For me; this warm old window…sill;
And this old dusty letter。〃
II
〃Dear John (the letter ran); it can't; can't be;
For Father's gone to Chorley Fair with Sam;
And Mother's storing Apples; … Prue and Me
Up to our Elbows making Damson Jam:
But we shall meet before a Week is gone; …
''Tis a long Lane that has no Turning;' John!
〃Only till Sunday next; and then you'll wait
Behind the White…Thorn; by the broken Stile …
We can go round and catch them at the Gate;
All to Ourselves; for nearly one long Mile;
Dear Prue won't look; and Father he'll go on;
And Sam's two Eyes are all for Cissy; John!
〃John; she's so smart; … with every Ribbon new;
Flame…colored Sack; and Crimson Padesoy:
As proud as proud; and has the Vapors too;
Just like My Lady; … calls poor Sam a Boy;
And vows no Sweet…heart's worth the Thinking…on
Till he's past Thirty 。 。 。 I know better; John!
〃My Dear; I don't think that I thought of much
Before we knew each other; I and you;
And now; why; John; your least; least Finger…touch;
Gives me enough to think a Summer through。
See; for I send you Something! There; 'tis gone!
Look in this corner; … mind you find it; John!
III
This was the matter of the note; …
A long…forgot deposit;
Dropped in an Indian dragon's throat
Deep in a fragrant closet;
Piled with a dapper Dresden world; …
Beaux; beauties; prayers; and poses; …
Bonzes with squat legs undercurled;
And great jars filled with roses。
Ah; heart that wrote! Ah; lips that kissed!
You had no thought or presage
Into what keeping you dismissed
Your simple old…world message!
A reverent one。 Though we to…day
Distrust beliefs and powers;
The artless; ageless things you say
Are fresh as May's own flowers。 。 。 。
I need not search too much to find
Whose lot it was to send it;
That feel upon me yet the kind;
Soft hand of her who penned it;
And see; through two…score years of smoke;
In by…gone; quaint apparel;
Shine from yon time…black Norway oak
The face of Patience Caryl; …
The pale; smooth forehead; silver…tressed;
The gray gown; primly flowered;
The spotless; stately coif whose crest
Like Hector's horse…plume towered;
And still the sweet half…solemn look
Where some past thought was clinging;
As when one shuts a serious book
To hear the thrushes singing。
I kneel to you! Of those you were;
Whose kind old hearts grow mellow; …
Whose fair old faces grow more fair;
As Point and Flanders yellow;
Whom some old store of garnered grief;
Their placid temples shading;
Crowns like a wreath of autumn leaf
With tender tints of fading。
Peace to your soul! You died unwed …
Despite this loving letter。
And what of John? The less that's said
Of John; I think; the better。
Austin Dobson '1840…1921'
THE NYMPH COMPLAINING FOR THE DEATH OF HER FAWN
The wanton troopers riding by
Have shot my fawn; and it will die。
Ungentle men! They cannot thrive
Who killed thee。 Thou ne'er didst; alive;
Them any harm; alas! nor could
Thy death to them do any good。
I'm sure I never wished them ill;
Nor do I for all this; nor will:
But; if my simple prayers may yet
Prevail with Heaven to forget
Thy murder; I will join my tears
Rather than fail。 But O my fears!
It cannot die so。 Heaven's King
Keeps register of everything;
And nothing may we use in vain;
Even beasts must be with justice slain;
Else men are made their deodands。
Though they should wash their guilty hands
In this warm life…blood; which doth part
From thine; and wound me to the heart;
Yet could they not be clean; their stain
Is dyed in such a purple grain;
There is not such another in
The world to offer for their sin。
Inconstant Sylvio; when yet
I had not found him counterfeit;
One morning; I remember well;
Tied in this silver chain and bell;
Gave it to me: nay; and I know
What he said then … I'm sure I do。
Said he; 〃Look how your huntsman here
Hath taught a fawn to hunt his deer!〃
But Sylvio soon had me beguiled:
This waxed tame; while he grew wild;
And; quite regardless of my smart;
Left me his fawn; but took his heart。
Thenceforth I set myself to play
My solitary time away
With this; and very well content
Could so mine idle life have spent;
For it was full of sport; and light
Of foot and heart; and did invite
Me to its game: it seemed to bless
Itself in me。 How could I less
Than love it? Oh; I cannot be
Unkind to a beast that loveth me!
Had it lived long; I do not know
Whether it; too; might have done so
As Sylvio did; his gifts might be
Perhaps as false; or more; than he。
But I am sure; for aught that I
Could in so short a time espy;
Thy love was far more better than
The love of false and cruel man。
With sweetest milk and sugar first
I it at mine own fingers nursed;
And as it grew; so every day;
It waxed more white and sweet than they。
It had so sweet a breath! and oft
I blushed to see its foot more soft;
And white; shall I say? than my hand …
Nay; any lady's of the land!
It was a wondrous thing how fleet
'Twas on those little silver feet。
With what a pretty skipping grace
It oft would challenge me the race;
And when't had left me far away;
'Twould stay; and run again; and stay;
For it was nimbler much than hinds;
And trod as if on the four winds。
I have a garden of my own;
But so with roses overgrown;
And lilies; that you would it guess
To be a little wilderness;
And all the spring…time of the year
It loved only to be there。
Among the beds of lilies I
Have sought it oft; where it should lie;
Yet could not; till itself would rise;
Find it; although before mine eyes;
For in the flaxen lilies' shade;
It like a bank of lilies laid。
Upon the roses it would feed;
Until its lips e'en seemed to bleed;
And then to me 'twould boldly trip;
And print those roses on my lip。
But all its chief delight was still
On roses thus itself to fill;
And its pure virgin lips to fold
In whitest sheets of lilies cold。
Had it lived long; it would have been
Lilies without; roses within。
O help! O help! I see it faint
And die as calmly as a saint!
See how it weeps! the tears do come
Sad; slowly; dropping like a gum。
So weeps the wounded balsam; so
The holy frankincense doth flow;
The brotherless Heliades
Melt in such amber tears as these。
I in a golden vial will
Keep these two crystal tears; and fill
It; till it doth overflow; with mine;
Then place it in Diana's shrine。
Now my sweet fawn is vanished to
Whither the swans and turtles go;
In fair Elysium to endure
With milk…white lambs and ermines pure。
O; do not run too fast; for I
Will but bespeak thy grave; and die。
First my unhappy statue shall
Be cut in marble; and withal
Let it be weeping too; but there
The engraver sure his art may spare;
For I so truly thee bemoan
That I shall weep though I be stone;
Until my tears; still dropping; wear
My breast; themselves engraving there;
Then at my feet shalt thou be laid;
Of purest alabaster made;
For I would have thine image be
White as I can; though not as thee。
Andrew Marvell '1621…1678'
ON THE DEATH OF A FAVORITE CAT; DROWNED IN A TUB OF GOLD FISHES
'Twas on a lofty vase's side;
Where China's gayest art had dyed
The azure flowers that blow;
Demurest of the tabby kind;
The pensive Selima; reclined;
Gazed on the lake below。
Her conscious tail her joy declared;
The fair round face; the snowy beard;
The velvet of her paws;
Her coat; that with the tortoise vies;
Her ears of jet; and emerald eyes;
She saw; and purred applause。
Still had she gazed; but 'midst the tide
Two angel forms were seen to glide;
The Genii of the stream:
Their scaly armor's Tyrian hue
Through richest purple to the view
Betrayed a golden gleam。
The hapless Nymph with wonder saw:
A whisker first and then a claw;
With many an ardent wish;
She stretched; in vain; to reach the prize。
What female heart can gold despise?
What Cat's averse to fish?
Presumptous Maid! with looks intent
Again she stretched; again she bent;
Nor knew the gulf between。
(Malignant Fate sat by; and smiled。)
The slippery verge her feet beguiled;
She tumbled headlong in。
Eight times emerging from the flood
She mewed to every watery god;
Some speedy aid to send。
No Dolphin came; no Nereid stirred:
Nor cruel Tom nor Susan heard; …
A Favorite has no friend!
From hence; ye Beauties; undeceived;
Know; one false step is ne'er retrieved;
And be with caution bold。
Not all that tempts your wandering eyes
And heedless hearts; is lawful prize;
Nor all that glisters; gold。
Thomas Gray '1716…1771'
VERSES ON A CAT
Clubby! thou surely art; I ween