A twofold existence

I am where thou art;
Hark, hear in the distance
The beat of my heart!

Edward Robert Bulwer Lytton [1831-1891]

Song

SONG

From "The Earthly Paradise"

FAIR is the night, and fair the day,
Now April is forgot of May,

Now into June May falls away:

Fair day! fair night! O give me back
The tide that all fair things did lack
Except my Love, except my Sweet!

་

Blow back, O wind! thou art not kind,
Though thou art sweet: thou hast no mind
Her hair about my Sweet to bind.

O flowery sward! though thou art bright,
I praise thee not for thy delight,—
Thou hast not kissed her silver feet.

Thou know'st her not, O rustling tree!
What dost thou then to shadow me,
Whose shade her breast did never see?
O flowers! in vain ye bow adown:
Ye have not felt her odorous gown
Brush past your heads my lips to meet.

Flow on, great river! thou mayst deem
That far away, a summer stream,
Thou saw'st her limbs amidst the gleam,
And kissed her foot, and kissed her knee:
Yet get thee swift unto the sea!

With naught of true thou wilt me greet.

And Thou that men call by my name!
O helpless One! hast thou no shame
That thou must even look the same
As while agone, as while agone
When Thou and She were left alone,
And hands and lips and tears did meet?

Grow weak and pine, lie down to die,
O body! in thy misery,

957

Because short time and sweet goes by.

O foolish heart! how weak thou art:

Break, break, because thou needs must part

From thine own Love, from thine own Sweet!

William Morris [1834-1896]

AT PARTING

FOR a day and a night Love sang to us, played with us,

Folded us round from the dark and the light;

And our hearts were fulfilled of the music he made with us, Made with our hearts and our lips while he stayed with us, Stayed in mid passage his pinions from flight

For a day and a night.

From his foes that kept watch with his wings had he hidden

us,

Covered us close from the eyes that would smite,

From the feet that had tracked and the tongues that had

chidden us

Sheltering in shade of the myrtles forbidden us

Spirit and flesh growing one with delight

For a day and a night.

But his wings will not rest and his feet will not stay for us: Morning is here in the joy of its might;

With his breath has he sweetened a night and a day for us: Now let him pass, and the myrtles make way for us;

Love can but last in us here at his height

For a day and a night.

Algernon Charles Swinburne [1837-1909]

"IF SHE BUT KNEW"

If she but knew that I am weeping

Still for her sake,

That love and sorrow grow with keeping

Till they must break,

My heart that breaking will adore her,

Be hers and die;

If she might hear me once implore her,

Would she not sigh?

Robin Adair

If she but knew that it would save me

Her voice to hear,

Saying she pitied me, forgave me,
Must she forbear?

If she were told that I was dying,

Would she be dumb?

Could she content herself with sighing?

Would she not come?

959

Arthur O'Shaughnessy [1844-1881]

KATHLEEN MAVOURNEEN

KATHLEEN MAVOURNEEN! the gray dawn is breaking,
The horn of the hunter is heard on the hill;

The lark from her light wing the bright dew is shaking,—
Kathleen Mavourneen! what, slumbering still?
Oh, hast thou forgotten how soon we must sever?
Oh! hast thou forgotten this day we must part?

It may be for years, and it may be forever!

Oh, why art thou silent, thou voice of my heart? Oh! why art thou silent, Kathleen Mavourneen?

Kathleen Mavourneen, awake from thy slumbers!

The blue mountains glow in the sun's golden light; Ah, where is the spell that once hung on my numbers? Arise in thy beauty, thou star of my night! Mavourneen, Mavourneen, my sad tears are falling, To think that from Erin and thee I must part! It may be for years, and it may be forever!

Then why art thou silent, thou voice of my heart? Then why art thou silent, Kathleen Mavourneen? Louisa Macartney Crawford [18

ROBIN ADAIR

WHAT'S this dull town to me?

Robin's not near,—
He whom I wished to see,

Wished for to hear;