ballads of peace in war-第4部分
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The grace of God that brings no ruth
For them who find the spring。
There is a land; there is a May
Beyond the graveyard tree;
Ten thousand years are like a day
Of a youth that we shall see:
Our young hearts pass the graveyard tree
To a land forever in May。
36
THE BONNIE PRINCE O' SPRING
The little green soldiers are here at last;
With their waving blades and spears;
And across the hills they are marching fast
With the drill of a thousand years:
And I wave afar; and I shout; Hurrah!
Till I hear their echoing cheers。
A bonnie prince is at their head;
And his love the legions know:
For he gives them rest where the twigs are red
At the hedges cool in a row:
And afoot are they soon to a birdlike tune
On the northward march to go。
Oh; I am leal to the marching men;
To my bonnie Prince I'm true;
For he tells me the way to his tented glen;
And the secret password too:
And he sets in my hair a blossom to wear;
Like his own good horsemen do。
Then I will follow on all the day
Where the bonnie Prince has led;
Till we drive the Winter foeman away
And throne my Prince instead:
And sing willaloo! With the birds; willaloo!
For the Winter King is dead。
37
ON A TRAIN
(For Christine and Tom)
Oases are charming 'mid the Afric sands;
Beautiful is summer after rain;
But the sweetest blossoms may be eyes and hands;
And two playful children on a train。
Aileen and her brother; home from holiday;
Left behind them Narragansett town;
Innocence like music followed all the way;
Summer glowed upon the cheeks of brown。
She that was their escort read a magazine:
They were young; and trains are dull at night;
All the passing signals; red and blue and green;
Counted up the miles for young delight。
I was there behind them; earnest in a book:
Lo; the journey turned to fairyland;
When; like magic mirrors; dusty windows took
Aileen's dancing eyes and waving hand!
That is how it happened on a creeping train;
How a play began without a word;
Peekaboo reflections in a window…pane;
Such a story…hour was never heard。
Aileen and her brother; strangers were to me;
They were friendly for the cloth I wore;
And through leagues of window; youthful play could see
We were friends to be for evermore。
So we passed the hamlets; passed the miles of night
In a fairyland of silent games;
Till the travel ended in the Worcester light;
Yet we parted; strangers in our names。
38
On a Train
But a fortnight later; by an autumn tree;
Aileen and her brother came my way;
And another; glad to tell the names of them and me;
And to hear how travellers can play。
Life is but a journey; say we evermore;
Passing lights the years have; like a train;
Three good friends will travel up to heaven's door;
With the world a merry window…pane。
39
THE COLUMBINE
Gray lonely rocks about thee stand;
Ignored of sun and dew;
Yet is thy breath upon the land;
To thy vocation true。
So come they character to me
That works in sunless ways;
And I shall learn to give with thee
Dark hills a constant praise。
40
TWO SEANICHIES
(For Aedh)
'Tis the queerest trade we have; the two of us that go about;
I that do the talkin'; and the little lad that sings;
We to tell the story of a Land you ought to know about;
The wonder land of Erin and the memories it brings。
Sure it is a wonder land; richer than the books it is;
Full of magic stories and a hopeful heart of song;
Faith; and near the mountains and the sunny lakes and brooks it is;
Like the olden seanichies; the pair of us belong。
Far and broad our journeyin' ; up and down the land we go;
Today among the mountains and tomorrow by the sea;
Pleasant are the roads with us; and to a welcome grand we go;
Erin wins the heart of you; whoever you may be。
Erin's heart will capture you; if you will but listen now;
Great she was afore the Danes and all her Saxon foes;
After that the sorrows came; sure your eyes will glisten now;
Up; my lad; and sing for them 〃The Dark Little Rose。〃
Rest awhile and I will tell the fame of Tara's Hall to them;
All the deeds of valor and a thousand scenes of joy;
Wicklow hills and Derry fields where Killarney calls to them。
Come; my lad; it's Ninety…Eight and sing 〃The Croppy Boy。〃
Long ago the stranger came and learned to love the ways of her;
Irish more than Irish the Norman foe became;
Sure and here across the sea you give your hearts to praise of her;
The tear and smile within her eyes that ever are the same。
Not for gold or little fame the two of us to go about;
I that do the talkin'; and the little lad that sings;
We to win your love for her; the Land you're glad to know about;
The wonder land of Erin and the memories it brings。
41
THE GREEN BRIGADE
ON THE FIELD OF CORN
Where is the war ye march unto;
》From the early tents of morn?
And what are the deeds ye hope to do;
Brave Grenadiers of Corn?
Pearls of the dew are on your hair;
And the jewels of morning light;
Pennants of green ye fling to the air;
And the tall plumes waving bright。
Gaily away and steady ye go;
Never a faltering line:
Forward! I follow and try to know
Word of your countersign:
Hist! The spies of the tyrant sun
Eagerly watch your plan;
Lavish with bribes of gold; they run
Down to your outmost man。
Steady; good lads; go bravely on
By the parching hills of pain;
An armor of shade ye soon may don
And meet the allies of rain:
And night in the bivouac hours will sing
Praise of the march ye made;
And into your pockets good gold will bring;
Men of the Green Brigade。
Yea; and upon September's field;
When the long campaign is done;
With arms up…stacked; your hearts will yield
Conquest of rain and sun:
The pennants and plumes will then be sere;
Your pearls delight no morn;
But tents of plenty will bless the year;
Brave Grenadiers of Corn。
42
ALLELUIA HEIGHT
Obedience to the seasons' marshall…rod;
That is a law of God;
Here beauty passes with her gorgeous train;
On paths that range from bud to grain。
O; here the searching eyes
In traffic for the soul's good gain
Earn wealth of rare delight。
Far pathways of surprise;
In color's frumenty bedight;
Lead off from avenues of day
Through miles of pageantries:
And from the starry chancels of the night
And the inscrutable farther skies;
Beyond where trackless comets stray;
Outspreads a world in thought's array。
And lo! the heart's true voices sing
》From the exulting reverent breast;
And lips proclaim; with adoration blessed;
Glad Alleluias to the King。
Prompt is our praise unto a jewelled queen
In all her courtly splendor set;
(Fair as those fairylands are seen
By childhood's other sight):
But if in pauper mien;
Too poor for stray regret
Where crowded streets affright
She stood in beggary;
Unknown; though faithful to her high degree;
O; then her praise 'twere easy to forget。
Yet ever here;
For all of time's prompt fickleness…
》From plenteous June and wide largess
Of full midsummer days;
To dwarf December pitiless
Amid the earth's uncomplimented ways…
43
Alleluia Height
Yea; constant through the changeful year;
This queenly Height commands our praise。
To stand in meek unflinching hardihood
When fortune blows its storm of fright;
And work to full effect that good
Resolved in open days of clearer sight…
O; this is worth!
That daily sees the soul
To braver liberties give birth;
That heeds not time's annoy;
And hears surrounding voices roll
Perennial circumstance of joy。
Then come not only when the springtime blows
The old familiar strangeness of its breath
Across the long…lain snows;
And chants her resurrected songs
About the tombs of death;
Nor yet when summer glows
In roseate throngs
And works her plenitude of deeds
By tangled dells and waving meads;
Come here in beauty's pilgrimage:
Nor when the autumn reads
Illuminate her page
With tints of magicry besprent
Of iridescent wonderment…
(As scrolls in old monastic towers;
Done in an earnest far…off age)。
But choose to come in winter hours
To see how character can live;
How noble character will give
Through desolate distress
And cold neglect's duress;
The fulness of its powers
And win the soul its victor sign。
Yea; come when in a peasant gown;
Amid the ample banners of the pine;
44
Alleluia Height
And the resounding harpers of the vine;
Lone winter holds upon the Height
Her court in full renown。
Obedient her courtiers go;
Their gonfalons aloft and bright;
And scatter pearls of snow;
Her sturdy knighthood wear for crown
Prismatic sheen in young delight;
And wave the cedar oriflamme on high;
While windward heralds cry;
Across the battlements of earth
To parapets along the sky;
The lauds of character's full worth。
The winter passes and the days come in
Vibrant with spring。
And men find welcome at the Easter tomb;
Reward they win;
Who make their hearts with courage sing
Through Lenten opportunity of gloom:
(Not as the Pharisees;
With faces lacrimose;
Who wear pretence of ashen woes;
And murmur like the tuneless bees;
Whose honies are hypocrisies);
But men of character's delight;
Who like this valiant Height
Still serving through the bleakest day;
With humble offerings of sound and sight;
Do steadfast stand and pray:
O; count those souls of noble worth;
And God's good pleasure on His earth;
Who still; if joy or pain
Brings sun or rain;
Heroic sing
The law of Alleluia to the King。
End