these evil hands,
For these have poisoned the springs!
They have set young cygnets in a nest of hemlock!
I have seen the angels of evil open the gates at noon!
Here are only madmen on a pestilent river!
Here are black sheep only in starless pastures!
And lambs hasting away to graze in darkness!

But O these cool faithful hands!
They come to offer ripe fruits to the dying!
They bring clear cold water in their palms!
They water the battlefields with milk!
They have surely come from wonderful and
eternally virgin forests!




NIGHT


My soul is sick at the end of all,
Sick and sad, being weary too,
Weary of being so vain, so vain,
Weary and sad at the end of all,
And O I long for the touch of you!

I long for your hands upon my face;
Snow-cold as spirits they will be;
I wait until they bring the ring.
I wait for their coolness over my face
Like a treasure deep in the sea.

I wait to know their healing spell,
Lest in the desolate sun I die,
So that I die not out in the sun;
O bathe mine eyes and make them well,
Where things unhappy slumbering lie.

Where many swans upon the sea,
Swans that wander over the sea,
Stretch forth their mournful throats in vain
In wintry gardens by the sea
Sick men pluck roses in their pain.

I long for your hands upon my face;
Snow-cold as spirits they will be,
And soothe my aching sight, alas!
My vision like the withered grass
Where listless lambs irresolute pass!




FIFTEEN SONGS



I


She chained her in a cavern frore.
She set a sign upon the door.
The key into the ocean fell:
The maid forgot the lamp as well.

She waited for the days of spring;
Year by year did seven die,
And every year one passed her by.

She waited thro' the winter's cold,
And her tresses, waiting too,
Recalled the light that once they knew.

They sought the light, they found it out,
Crept thro' the rocks and round about,
And lit the rocks with all their gold.

He comes at eve that passed of old:
Amazéd at the wondrous sight
He does not dare approach the light.

He deems it is a mystic sign,
Or else a spring that gushes gold,
Or angels at their sport divine:
He turns, and passes as of old.




II


If he one day come again
What shall then be said?
—Say that one awaited him,
Always, that is dead.

Ay, but if he ask me more,
Yet know me not again?
—Speak as any sister might,
Lest he be in pain.

If he ask where you are gone
What shall I reply?
—Give him then my golden ring,
Make him no reply.

If he asks me why the hall
Shows a silent floor?
—Show him then the smouldered lamp
And the open door.

If he ask me of the hour
When you fell asleep?
—Tell him, tell him that I smiled
Lest my love should weep.




III


Three little maids they did to death,
To see what hid within their hearts.

The first little heart was full of bliss,
And lo, wherever its blood might run,
Three serpents hissed till three years were done.

The second was full of gentlehood,
And lo, wherever its blood might run
Three lambs that fed till three years were done.

The third was full of pain and woe,
And lo, wherever the red blood crept
Archangels three their vigil kept.




IV


Maidens with bounden eyes
(O loose the scarves of gold!)
Maidens with bounden eyes,
They sought their destinies.

At noon they opened wide
(O keep the scarves of gold!)
At noon they opened wide
The palace in the plain:

There they greeted life
(Bind close the scarves of gold!)
There they greeted life,
And turned them back again.




V


The three blind sisters
(Hope is not cold),
The three blind sisters
Light their lamps of gold.

Up the tower go they
(They and you and we),
Up the tower go they
To wait the seventh day.

Ah, saith one, turning
(Still let us hope),
Ah, saith one, turning,
I hear our lamps burning....

Ah, the second saith
(They and you and we),
Ah, the second saith,
Tis the king's tread....

Nay, the holiest saith
(Still let us hope),
Nay, the holiest saith,
But our light is dead.




VI


There came one here to say
(O child, I am afraid!)
There came one here to say
'Twas time to haste away....

A burning lamp I bear,
(O child, I am afraid!)
A burning lamp I bear,
And I draw near!

At the first door,
(O child, I am afraid!)
At the first door
The flame shook sore....

Then, at the second,
(O child, I am afraid!)
Then, at the second,
The flame spoke and beckoned....

The third door is wide
(O child, but this is fear!)
The third door is wide,
And the flame has died.




VII


Orlamonde had seven daughters
When the fairy died
The seven maids, the seven daughters,
Sought to win outside.

Then they lit their seven lamps;
Through all the towers they sought;
They opened full four hundred halls;
The day, they found it not.

They came to the echoing caverns deep;
Down, tho' the air was cold,
Went, and in a stubborn door
Found a key of gold.

They see the ocean through the chinks;
They fear to die outside;
They beat on the unmoving door
They dare not open wide.




VIII


She had three crowns of gold:
To whom did she give the three?

One she gave to her parents dear,
And they have bought three reeds of gold,
And kept her till the spring was near.

And one to those that loved her well:
And they have bought three nets of gold,
And kept her till the autumn fell.

And one she gave to those she bore,
And they have bought three gyves of iron,
To chain her till the winter's o'er.




IX


Toward the castle she made her way
(Hardly yet was the sun on the sea),
Toward the castle she made her way;
Knight looked at knight and looked away;
The women had never a word to say.

She came to rest before the door
(Hardly yet was the sun on the sea),
She came to rest before the door;
They heard the queen as she paced the floor,
And the king that asked her what would she.

"What do you seek, O where do you go?
(Have a care, it is hard to see),
What do you seek, O where do you go?
Doth one await you there below?"
But never a word, a word spake she.

Down she went to the one unknown
(Have a care, it is hard to see),
Down