REINCARNATIONS

BY

JAMES STEPHENS

AUTHOR OF
'THE CHARWOMAN'S DAUGHTER,' 'THE HILL OF VISION'
'THE CROCK OF GOLD,' ETC.

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON
1918

COPYRIGHT

TO

ALICE STOPFORD GREEN

CONTENTS

GEOFFREY KEATING

O woman full of wiliness!
    Although for love of me you pine,
Withhold your hand adventurous,
    It holdeth nothing holding mine.

Look on my head, how it is grey!
    My body's weakness doth appear;
My blood is chill and thin; my day
    Is done, and there is nothing here.

Do not call me a foolish man,
    Nor lean your lovely cheek to mine
O slender witch, our bodies can
    Not mingle now, nor any time.

So take your mouth from mine, your hand
    From mine, ah, take your lips away!
Lest heat to will should ripen, and
    All this be grave that had been gay.

It is this curl, a silken nest,
    And this grey eye bright as the dew,
And this round, lovely, snow-white breast
    That draws desire in search of you.

I would do all for you, meseems,
    But this, tho' this were happiness!
I shall not mingle in your dreams,
    O woman full of wiliness!

MARY HYNES

She is the sky of the sun,
    She is the dart
        Of love,
She is the love of my heart,
She is a rune,
        She is above
The women of the race of Eve
As the sun is above the moon.

Lovely and airy the view from the hill
    That looks down Ballylea;
But no good sight is good until
    By great good luck you see
The Blossom of the Branches walking towards you
    Airily.

THE COOLUN

Come with me, under my coat,
    And we will drink our fill
Of the milk of the white goat,
    Or wine if it be thy will;
    And we will talk until
Talk is a trouble, too,
    Out on the side of the