Classic Poem

PART I

O H who art thou — thou fearful guest —
Too burning bright, too strangely fair?
" I am the daemon of unrest,
From the kingdom of the air. "

Brightness, I bid thee from my door.
Off! off! I say, with spur and goad!
" I have come, " he cried, " to drive the bride
Over a lonely road. "

But where? But where? In earth or air
Where would ye hurry me?
" To a bright place we must repair
Where She would have us be.

" Her power this night is on us both,
And I am sent by Her.
Pale wandering shape, thou shalt obey
Her flaming messenger. "

Oh let me be for a single night.
For a single night, lord, let me be.
The torch is lit, the feast is bright,
My love has come to marry me!

" I cannot wait for a single night!
Her voice calls. We must be gone!
Her feast is set with lovelier light
And She is whiter than the sun. "

Oh let me be for a mortal hour,
For a mortal hour, lord, let me be,
That I may bring my lover the wine
And that he may break the bread with me.

" I cannot wait for a mortal hour.
Her splendor calls us from afar.
She fain would sup from a living cup
Her radiant hands have lifted up
Like the brightness of a star. "

Oh let me be for a breath of time,
For a breath of time, lord, let me be.
I shall run more warm through cold and storm
If my love has given a kiss to me.

" I cannot wait for a breath of time.
There's many a league for us to run,
Through brakes through mire,
Through frost, through fire,
To Her palace of the sun. "

What shall I do in her palace bright?
Why should she bid me there?
" Love waits outside Her door to-night
In Her citadel of air.

" Unto Her breast He fain would come,
But Him She will not see,
Unless the bread She sets for Him
Shall of thy body be. "

She is a witch, bright as the devil.
She shall not lay her spells on me.
She is a bubble, blown of evil,
Pale foam of an unholy sea.

" She lifts a goblet from her breast.
Like a star She holds it up.
She will not bid Him in to feast
Unless thy soul is in the cup. "

Witches' feet shall never tread
From my soul its precious wine.
Her Love shall not go comforted
With holy blood of mine!

" Her lips shall never be the throne
Whereon shall rule Her great Love's kiss
Unless I snatch thee from thine own
And whirl thee through the dark abyss.

" If She lose what She desires
Her sufferings will be more than human.
She is wrought of Heavenly fires,
Greater than any mortal woman.

" She would ravage wide and high,
Dashed from Her orbit out of space.
Meteors should not burn the sky
More than the stars Her face. "

Then let her lose and let her bear
Alone her strange and mighty grief.
I will not shed a single tear
To bring her soul relief.

" Thou wilt not? Nay — beneath Her eyes
Thou art a helpless creature.
She is the music of the skies
And thou art wanton nature. "

Is she of the land of faery,
That she should be so brightly cruel,
In a ghostlike palace airy,
Cloud built, set with many a jewel?
Is she charmed and is she spelled?
Is she of magic softly woven?
I will pray to my Lord God.
He shall rule her with his rod,
The way betwixt us twain be cloven.

" She is charmed and She is spelled.
She is not of the land of faery.
Yes — She is brightly cruel —
Ghostlike, in a palace airy,
Set with stars like many a jewel.
Pray to thy Lord God.
She is of such wild magic woven
He will not rule Her with His rod
Nor shall the road to Her be cloven. "

Oh goblin bright, thou fierce-eyed sprite,
I fear thee with thy spur and goad!
" I am Her Will that drives thy flight
On Her appointed road. "

But who is she whose magic will
Seems such a fearful thing?
Tell her I rule my kingdom still,
The daughter of a king.

" Thy kingdom is of sea and land,
Unstable as the glittering wind.
She rules thy nature with Her hand
In the kingdom of the mind. "

Who is she and what is she,
That I should follow as night the noon?
" She is deeper than the sky
And taller than the fire-white moon.

" The sunsets of the eternal years
Yield unto Her their mellow wines.
The sunrise of all living spheres
Her breast incarnadines. "

I hate her that she shines so bright.
I hate her for her elfin dower.
I hate her that she rules this night
With an unearthly power.

Who is she and what is she,
Thou blazing, bright, mysterious elf?
" She is the empress over thee
Thy deep, eternal Self.

" As time from out the skies shall thresh
The stars with all their ancient fires,
She bids me scourge from out thy flesh
The throbbing of its deep desires.

" 'Wherefore beware! Wherefore beware!
Her will upon this night be done.
I'll drive thee forth into the air
And we will dart into the sun. "