Classic Poem

If thou canst tell why the root downward grows
And the stalk upward, thou mayst also say
Why one is born to joys and one to woes,
One sinks, one rises, in the self-same day:
And above all why fickle love doth rate
Fortune against man's merit in his play:
To one man rendering joy and solace great,
To others like worth cause to sigh and groan,
Life's lure to this, to that the fist of fate
Lo now the case of Mano and of Joan
They both of worth deserved love's bliss to mede,
And yet of him had only dule alone.
Forth from that evil house gin they proceed,
And none are very nigh them on the road:
Now is love's hour, methinks, for some kind deed
Now upon Mano love should lay his load,
Sith well that lord of all, that destiny,
Knew that her thoughts to Mano only flowed.
Ah, none deserved love's answer more than she:
A scarlet hood with darker crossings held
Her tender face, that looked but wan of ble,
As if she must have wept, but still withheld:
For in her mind what Mano lately said
Still tired her thoughts, and her sweet hopes dispelled;
And though on Blanche his love was wholly laid,
Yet certainly, when Mano saw her now
Riding beside him in the forest shade,
To her fair beauty all his mind did bow;
As the other deemed he her almost as fair,
And saw the other in her lovely brow;
For much her face did that resemblance wear,
And in her voice her sister's voice awoke.
Neither could he his longing oft forbear,
But touched her gentle forehead, or would stroke
Her hand that kept the rein; which she allowed.
Ah, could he but have rent shame's unfast cloak,
And seen her heart, which love left little proud,
Her heart, which scarcely lay from him concealed,
And trembled still within its trembling shroud.
But at the last upon the banked field
They sat together down: there did they kiss:
And much they trembled both; but unrevealed
Joanna kept herself in troubled bliss
She trembled unto shuddering: he the same:
But neither of them said one word, I wis.
Yet kissed they one another without shame
Lips travelled over cheek and mouth by turn
For a long hour: at least this blessing came
On their unhappiness: this sweet sojourn:
Thus at the first at least did they embrace:
But what their last embracement ye shall learn
Ah, had he been content with that sweet face!
But even in the midst of that delight
Thought of the other in his mind had place,
And made him feel ashamed and void of right
To hold a virgin soul so freely given:
Disturbed was he by love's tyrannic might,
Nor kept the haven whither he was driven:
For words should have succeeded, and sweet vows,
Bearing them witness in the sight of heaven
She would have answered underneath the boughs,
And whispered him of love with sweetest breath:
Instead of that he must her mind arouse,
And call himself to life almost through death,
And e'en for love love's perfect taste forego.
" The skies grow dark, the hour is late, " he saith:
And by a shamed smile to her doth shew
That all was nought. Alas! what case was this?
To kiss and not be loved — with her 'twas so.
To kiss and not to love — that lot was his.
Thence shamefast, no more hand in hand they ride:
And, knowing now the more their miseries,
End their dark journey in night's midmost tide.