THE BLESSED DAMOZEL THE blessed damozel leaned out From the gold bar of Heaven; Her eyes were deeper than the depth Of waters stilled at even; She had three lilies in her hand, And the stars in her hair were seven. Her robe, ungirt from clasp to hem, Herseemed she scarce had been a day The wonder was not yet quite gone (To one, it is ten years of years. Nothing the autumn-fall of leaves. It was the rampart of God's house By God built over the sheer depth So high, that looking downward thence It lies in Heaven, across the flood Beneath, the tides of day and night Around her, lovers, newly met And still she bowed herself and stooped Until her bosom must have made The bar she leaned on warm, And the lilies lay as if asleep Along her bended arm. From the fixed place of Heaven she saw Time like a pulse shake fierce Through all the worlds. Her gaze still strove Its path; and now she spoke as when The sun was gone now; the curled moon Fluttering far down the gulf; and now (Ah sweet! Even now, in that bird's song, Strove not her accents there, Fain to be hearkened? When those bells Strove not her steps to reach my side "I wish that he were come to me, For he will come," she said. "Have I not prayed in Heaven ?-on earth, Lord, Lord, has he not pray'd? Are not two prayers a perfect strength? "When round his head the aureole clings, I'll take his hand and go with him As unto a stream we will step down, "We two will stand beside that shrine, Whose lamps are stirred continually And see our old prayers, granted, melt "We two will lie i' the shadow of That living mystic tree Within whose secret growth the Dove Is sometimes felt to be, While every leaf that His plumes touch "And I myself will teach to him, The songs I sing here; which his voice And find some knowledge at each pause, (Alas! we two, we two, thou say'st! Yea, one wast thou with me That once of old. But shall God lift To endless unity The soul whose likeness with thy soul "We two," she said, "will seek the groves Where the lady Mary is, With her five handmaidens, whose names Cecily, Gertrude, Magdalen, "Circlewise sit they, with bound locks Into the fine cloth white like flame To fashion the birth-robes for them "He shall fear, haply, and be dumb: To his, and tell about our love, Not once abashed or weak: My pride, and let me speak. "Herself shall bring us, hand in hand, To Him round whom all souls Kneel, the clear-ranged unnumbered heads Bowed with their aureoles : And angels meeting us shall sing To their citherns and citoles. "There will I ask of Christ the Lord Thus much for him and me : Only to live as once on earth With Love, only to be, As then awhile, for ever now Together, I and he." She gazed and listened and then said, Less sad of speech than mild, "All this is when he comes." She ceased. The light thrilled towards her, fill'd With angels in strong level flight. Her eyes prayed, and she smil'd. (I saw her smile.) But soon their path Was vague in distant spheres: And then she cast her arms along The golden barriers, And laid her face between her hands, And wept. (I heard her tears.) DANTE AT VERONA Yea, thou shalt learn how salt his food who fares (Div. Com. Parad. xvii.) Behold, even I, even I am Beatrice. OF Florence and of Beatrice (Div. Com. Purg. xxx.) Servant and singer from of old, Yet if his Lady's home above Was Heaven, on earth she filled his soul; To cast the body forth to rove, The soul could soar from earth's vain throng, And Heaven and Hell fulfil the song. Follow his feet's appointed way;- What fires are blent, what winds are blown Yet of the twofold life he led In chainless thought and fettered will Alas! the Sacred Song whereto Both heaven and earth had set their hand |