English

I.

Love with all thy strength of being, while the summer days are long,
While thy heart can mix its music with the lark's and thrush's song;
While the heart of woman seeks thee for the sake of love alone,
While thine ardour wins her sweetness, lures her from her starry throne.

II.

Love with all thy might of manhood, while the summer nights are sweet,
While the honeysuckle listens for the sound of lovers' feet;
While thy voice can ring with passion, while keen rapture can be won,

Through sleet and snow
The wild wheels go:
Across waste wolds with purple heather bright,
O'er many a bridge,
Through tunnelled ridge,
Flinging weird fires along the startled night,
The engine flies,—
And one man's steady eyes
And hands must guide the thundering force aright.

What trust we place
In that one face.
In those stern lips and dauntless hands that steer:
Bridegroom and bride
Sit side by side,

I.

Creeds we build up, then dismantle, many gods we mould and break,
But the vast sea's towering godship what most venturous hand shall shake?
Human loves give ghostlike rapture, passing joys, ephemeral pain;
When a starlike glance has vanished, never shines that star again.

II.

Though a hundred women greet us, though the stars of night return,
Still our souls and hearts long wildly, still our wandering fancies yearn:
Though the hundred women yield us all their sweetness, as they yield

I.

" Traitress ! " he cried, " aye, traitress! "
And then the dagger smote,
And with its point it traversed
The white and slender throat
One glance the woman gave him:
It was not anger there,
But somewhat like the pleading
Of infinite despair.

II.

" Harlot! " he cried, " God curse you,
Who gavest love to me
And then " ... the slow stream trickled

I.

The River's silver laughter
But yesterday I heard:
A blither note rang after
Than note of brook or bird.
A maiden's laughing gladness
Made all the bright world sweet:
The stream forswore its sadness,
And felt its old heart beat.

II.

But ah! the River loved her;
Her voice to him was song:
It would not yield or spare her;
The River's love was strong

I .

The Lily watched the stately Rose
And envied her her bloom
" I wait, " she said, " in white repose,
I might be in my tomb
The Rose is sweet, the Rose is red,
Her lover is the Sun:
But I — I might as well be dead!
I'm loved and sought of none!

I never shall be happy,
I never shall be red!

“THE WAY THE WORLD GOES ROUND”

I.

Spring and summer, joy and sorrow,
 Rose and lily and autumn leaf;
Laughter now, but tears to-morrow,
 Rapture followed fast by grief;
Grass, then snows upon the ground:
That's the way the world goes round!

II.

Peace for years and hedgerows hoary
 With the fragrant bloom of may;
War for months, and meadows gory;
 Stars that weep and turn away
From the reeking battle-ground:
That's the way the world goes round!

III.

Upon a perfect starry night
We stood beside the silent deep,
Tranced in a still supreme delight,
While all the earth was tranced in sleep
" O holy stars that gaze from heaven above,
Guard us, " I murmured — " shield true hearts who love!
Watch over him, watch over him and me "
— A threatening strange moan answered from the sea,
" Ah me! Ah me! "

And now upon a wintry night,
While at my feet the breakers roar
Flecking the beach with angry white,
I stand just where we stood of yore.

GOLD-WINGED SPIRITS

Two gold-winged spirits went
Towards heaven well content:
In fiery dream
To blend they seem,
And the veil of heaven was rent.

Then through and through
The gleaming blue
These wedded spirits passed,
Till they reached God's throne at last,
And God's own rapture knew.

Rapture supreme, unending,
For ever downward sending

Ah! dear old Christmas-tides of long ago.
Around the creaking roof-tops roared the blast:
The streets and hills and fields were draped in snow;
Across the ice the glittering skates shot past.
Youth was not dead!
Bright green and red
The holly-leaves and holly-berries gleamed.
The merry church-bells rang;
Our young hearts laughed and sang;
Of joyous years to come our spirits dreamed.

But years to come bring trouble and despair.
If childhood brings its simple dream of joy