the three taverns(三家酒店)-第10部分
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ease in Zion； when the sight Of ills obscured aggrieved him and the might
Of Hamath was a warning of the Lord。
Assured somehow that he would make us wise； Our pleasure was to
wait； and our surprise Was hard when we confessed the dry return Of his
regret。 For we were still to learn That earth has not a school where we may
go For wisdom； or for more than we may know。
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Firelight
Ten years together without yet a cloud； They seek each other's eyes at
intervals Of gratefulness to firelight and four walls For love's obliteration
of the crowd。 Serenely and perennially endowed And bowered as few may
be； their joy recalls No snake； no sword； and over them there falls The
blessing of what neither says aloud。
Wiser for silence； they were not so glad Were she to read the graven
tale of lines On the wan face of one somewhere alone； Nor were they more
content could he have had Her thoughts a moment since of one who shines
Apart； and would be hers if he had known。
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The New Tenants
The day was here when it was his to know How fared the barriers he
had built between His triumph and his enemies unseen； For them to
undermine and overthrow； And it was his no longer to forego The sight of
them； insidious and serene； Where they were delving always and had been
Left always to be vicious and to grow。
And there were the new tenants who had come； By doors that were left
open unawares； Into his house； and were so much at home There now that
he would hardly have to guess； By the slow guile of their vindictiveness；
What ultimate insolence would soon be theirs。
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Inferential
Although I saw before me there the face Of one whom I had honored
among men The least； and on regarding him again Would not have had
him in another place； He fitted with an unfamiliar grace The coffin where I
could not see him then As I had seen him and appraised him when I
deemed him unessential to the race。
For there was more of him than what I saw。 And there was on me more
than the old awe That is the common genius of the dead。 I might as well
have heard him： 〃Never mind； If some of us were not so far behind； The
rest of us were not so far ahead。〃
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The Rat
As often as he let himself be seen We pitied him； or scorned him； or
deplored The inscrutable profusion of the Lord Who shaped as one of us a
thing so mean Who made him human when he might have been A rat；
and so been wholly in accord With any other creature we abhorred As
always useless and not always clean。
Now he is hiding all alone somewhere； And in a final hole not ready
then； For now he is among those over there Who are not coming back to
us again。 And we who do the fiction of our share Say less of rats and
rather more of men。
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Rahel to Varnhagen
Note。 Rahel Robert and Varnhagen von Ense were married； after
many protestations on her part； in 1814。 The marriage so far as he was
concerned； at any rate appears to have been satisfactory。
Now you have read them all； or if not all； As many as in all conscience
I should fancy To be enough。 There are no more of them Or none to
burn your sleep； or to bring dreams Of devils。 If these are not sufficient；
surely You are a strange young man。 I might live on Alone； and for another
forty years； Or not quite forty； are you happier now？ Always to ask if
there prevailed elsewhere Another like yourself that would have held
These aged hands as long as you have held them； Not once observing； for
all I can see； How they are like your mother's。 Well； you have read His
letters now； and you have heard me say That in them are the cinders of a
passion That was my life； and you have not yet broken Your way out of
my house； out of my sight； Into the street。 You are a strange young man。
I know as much as that of you； for certain； And I'm already praying； for
your sake； That you be not too strange。 Too much of that May lead you
bye and bye through gloomy lanes To a sad wilderness； where one may
grope Alone； and always； or until he feels Ferocious and invisible animals
That wait for men and eat them in the dark。 Why do you sit there on the
floor so long； Smiling at me while I try to be solemn？ Do you not hear it
said for your salvation； When I say truth？ Are you； at four and twenty； So
little deceived in us that you interpret The humor of a woman to be noticed
As her choice between you and Acheron？ Are you so unscathed yet as to
infer That if a woman worries when a man； Or a man…child； has wet shoes
on his feet She may as well commemorate with ashes The last eclipse of
her tranquillity？ If you look up at me and blink again； I shall not have to
make you tell me lies To know the letters you have not been reading。 I see
now that I may have had for nothing A most unpleasant shivering in my
conscience When I laid open for your contemplation The wealth of my
worn casket。 If I did； The fault was not yours wholly。 Search again This
wreckage we may call for sport a face； And you may chance upon the
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price of havoc That I have paid for a few sorry stones That shine and have
no light yet once were stars； And sparkled on a crown。 Little and weak
They seem； and they are cold； I fear； for you。 But they that once were fire
for me may not Be cold again for me until I die； And only God knows if
they may be then。 There is a love that ceases to be love In being ourselves。
How； then； are we to lose it？ You that are sure that you know everything
There is to know of love； answer me that。 Well？ 。 。 。 You are not even
interested。
Once on a far off time when I was young； I felt with your assurance；
and all through me； That I had undergone the last and worst Of love's
inventions。 There was a boy who brought The sun with him and woke me
up with it； And that was every morning； every night I tried to dream of
him； but never could； More than I might have seen in Adam's eyes Their
fond uncertainty when Eve began The play that all her tireless progeny
Are not yet weary of。 One scene of it Was brief； but was eternal while it
lasted； And that was while I was the happiest Of an imaginary six or seven；
Somewhere in history but not on earth； For whom the sky had shaken and
let stars Rain down like diamonds。 Then there were clouds； And a sad end
of diamonds； whereupon Despair came； like a blast that would have
brought Tears to the eyes of all the bears in Finland； And love was done。
That was how much I knew。 Poor little wretch！ I wonder where he is This
afternoon。 Out of this rain； I hope。
At last； when I had seen so many days Dressed all alike； and in their
marching order； Go by me that I would not always count them； One
stopped shattering the whole file of Time； Or so it seemed； and when I
looked again； There was a man。 He struck once with his eyes； And then
there was a woman。 I； who had come To wisdom； or to vision； or what you
like； By the old hidden road that has no name； I； who was used to seeing
without flying So much that others fly from without seeing； Still looked；
and was afraid； and looked again。 And after that； when I had read the story
Told in his eyes； and felt within my heart The bleeding wound of their
necessity； I knew the fear was his。 If I had failed him And flown away
from him； I should have lost Ingloriously my wings in scrambling back；
And found them arms again。 If he had struck me Not only with his eyes
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but with his hands； I might have pitied him and hated love； And then gone
mad。 I； who have been so strong Why don't you laugh？ might even
have done all that。 I； who have learned so much； and said so much； And
had the commendations of the great For one who rules herself why don't
you cry？ And own a certain small authority Among the blind； who see
no more than ever； But like my voice； I would have tossed it all To
Tophet for one man； and he was jealous。 I would have wound a snake
around my neck And then have let it bite me till I died； If my so doing
would have made me sure That one man might have lived； and he was
jealous。 I would have driven these hands into a cage That held a thousand
scorpions； a
