"The man, my lover, with whom I rode sublime On Fortune's neck: we sat as God by God: “We drank the Libyan Sun to sleep, and lit "And the wild kiss, when fresh from war's alarms, My mailed Bacchus leapt into my arms, "And there he died: and when I heard my name (With that she tore her robe apart, and half "I died a Queen. The Roman soldier found Her warbling voice, a lyre of widest range Struck by all passion, did fall down and glance From tone to tone, and glided thro' all change Of liveliest utterance. When she made pause I knew not for delight; Because with sudden motion from the ground She raised her piercing orbs, and fill'd with light The interval of sound. Still with their fires Love tipt his keenest darts; Slowly my sense undazzled. Then I heard A noise of some one coming thro' the lawn "The torrent brooks of hallow'd Israel From craggy hollows pouring, late and soon, Sound all night long, in falling thro' the dell, Far-heard beneath the moon. ir Bring the dance and song, "Leaving the olive-gardens far below, Leaving the promise of my bridal bower, The valleys of grape-loaded vines that glow Beneath the battled tower. From craggy nonows pouring, late and soon, Sound all night long, in falling thro' the dell, Far-heard beneath the moon. "The balmy moon of blessed Israel Floods all the deep-blue gloom with beams divine: All night the splinter'd crags that wall the dell With spires of silver shine." As one that museth where broad sunshine laves Of sound on roof and floor Within, and anthem sung, is charm'd and tied To where he stands, - so stood I, when that flow -- Of music left the lips of her that died To save her father's vow; The daughter of the warrior Gileadite, A maiden pure; as when she went along From Mizpeh's tower'd gate with welcome light, With timbrel and with song. My words leapt forth: "Heaven heads the count of crimes With that wild oath." She render'd answer high: "Not so, nor once alone; a thousand times I would be born and die. "Single I grew, like some green plant, whose root "My God, my land, my father - these did move Me from my bliss of life, that Nature gave, Lower'd softly with a threefold cord of love Down to a silent grave. เ "And I went mourning, ‘No fair Hebrew boy "Leaving the olive-gardens far below, Leaving the promise of my bridal bower, The valleys of grape-loaded vines that glow Beneath the battled tower. |