She laid down and died at length:
Lay a kitten by her side,
In whose life the mother died.
Spare her line and lineage,
Guard her kitten’s tender age,
And that kitten’s name as wide
Shall be known as her’s that died.
And whoever passes by
The poor grave where Puss doth lie,
Softly, softly let him tread,
Nor disturb her narrow bed.
MOTHER AND CHILD
“What art thou thinking of,” said the Mother,
“What art thou thinking of my child?”
“I was thinking of Heaven,” he answered her,
And looked up in her face and smiled.
“And what didst thou think of Heaven?” she said;
“Tell me, my little one!”
“Oh . . , I thought that there the flowers never fade,
That there never sets the sun.”
“And wouldst thou love to go thither, my child?
Thither wouldst thou love to go?
And leave the pretty flowers that wither,
And the sun that sets below?”
“Oh, I would be glad to go there, mother,
To go and live there now;
And I would pray for thy coming, mother,
My mother, wouldst not thou?”
FAIR MARGARET
“Fair Margaret sat in her bower window,
Combing her yellow hair;
There she spied sweet William and his bride
As they were a riding near.” — Old Ballad.
The faith of years is broken,
The fate of years is spoken,
Years past, and years to come;
I pity and I scorn thee,
I would not now adorn me
For thy false bridal home.
Yet thou, perfidious wooer,
Thou yet mayst be the ruer,
For thou mayst meet with one
Who will not love thee really,
But cast kind glances merely
That thou mayst be undone.
Soft eyes, and dark, and flashing,
Thy hopes may yet be dashing,
Thou yet mayst be deceived;
And then think on her sadly,
Whom once thou grievedst gladly,
Ere thou thyself wast grieved.
And if despair should seize thee,
And urge thee to release thee
From weariness and life,
Oh! think on her who’ll languish,
Bearing the bitter anguish
Of a heart’s bitter strife.
For, though I may not love thee,
Though calm as heaven above me,
My thoughts of thee must be,
I cannot break so lightly
The chain that bound me tightly,
Once bound my soul to thee.
EARTH AND HEAVEN
Water calmly flowing,
Sun-light deeply glowing,
Swans some river riding,
That is gently gliding
By the fresh green rushes;
The sweet rose that blushes,
Hyacinths whose dow’r
Is both scent and flow’r,
Skylark’s soaring motion,
Sun-rise from the ocean,
Jewels that lie sparkling
‘Neath the waters darkling,
Sea-weed, coral, amber,
Flow’rs that climb and clamber,
Or more lowly flourish
Where the earth may nourish;
All these are beautiful,
Of beauty Earth is full: —
Say, to our promised Heaven
Can greater charms be given?
Yes; for aye in Heav’n doth dwell
Glowing, indestructible,
What here below finds tainted birth
In the corrupted sons of Earth;
For, filling there and satisfying
Man’s soul unchanging and undying,
Earth’s fleeting joys and beauties far above,
In Heaven is Love.
LOVE ATTACKED
Love is more sweet than flowers,
But sooner dying;
Warmer than sunny hours,
But faster flying;
Softer than music’s whispers
Springing with day
To murmur till the vespers,
Then die away;
More kind than friendship’s greeting,
But as untrue,
Brighter than hope, but fleeting
More swiftly too;
Like breath of summer breezes
Gently it sighs,
But soon, alas! one ceases,
The other dies;
And like an inundation
It leaves behind
An utter desolation
Of heart and mind.
Who then would court Love’s presence,
If here below
It can but be the essence
Of restless woe?
Returned or unrequited
‘Tis still the same;
The flame was never lighted,
Or sinks the flame.
Yet all, both fools and sages,
Have felt its power,
In distant lands and ages,
Here, at this hour.
Then what from fear and weeping
Shall give me rest?
Oh tell me, ye who sleeping
At length are blest!
In answer to my crying
Sounds like incense
Rose from the earth, replying,
Indifference.
LOVE DEFENDED
Who extols a wilderness?
Who hath praised indifference?
Foolish one, thy words are sweet,
But devoid of sense.
As the man who ne’er hath seen,
Or as he who cannot hear,
Is the heart that hath no part
In Love’s hope and fear.
True, the blind do not perceive
The unsightly things around;
True, the deaf man trembleth not
At an awful sound.
But the face of Heaven and Earth,
And the murmur of the main,
Surely are a recompense
For a little pain.
So, tho’ Love may not be free
Always from a taint of grief,
If its sting is very sharp,
Great is its relief.
DIVINE AND HUMAN PLEADING
“I would the saints could hear our prayers!
If such a thing might be,
O blessed Mary Magdalene,
I would appeal to thee!
“For once in lowly penitence
Thy head was bowed with shame;
But now thou hast a glorious place,
And hast an unknown name.”
So mused a trembling contrite man,
So mused he wearily;
By angels borne his thoughts appeared
Before the Throne on high.
* * * * * *
The calm, still night was at its noon,
And all men were at rest,
When came before the sleeper’s eyes
A vision of the blest.
A woman stood beside his bed,
Her breath was fragrance all;
Round her the light was very bright,
The air was musical.
Her footsteps shone upon the stars,
Her robe was spotless white;
Her breast was radiant with the Cross,
Her head with living light.
Her eyes beamed with a sacred fire;
And on her shoulders fair,
From underneath her golden crown
Clustered her golden hair.
Yet on her bosom her white hands
Were folded quietly;
Yet was her glorious head bowed low
In deep humility.
&nbs
p; Long time she looked upon the ground;
Then raising her bright eyes
Her voice came forth as sweet and soft
As music when it dies.
“O thou who in thy secret hour
Hast dared to think that aught
Is faulty in God’s perfect plan,
And perfect in thy thought!
“Thou who the pleadings would’st prefer
Of one sin-stained like me
To His Who is the Lord of Life,
To His Who died for thee!
“In mercy I am sent from Heaven:
Be timely wise, and learn
To seek His love Who waits for thee,
Inviting thy return.
“Well know I His long-suffering
And intercession’s worth;
My guilt was as a heavy chain
That bound me to the earth.
“It was a clog upon my feet,
To keep me from Life’s path;
It was a stain upon my hands,
A curse upon my hearth.
“But there is mighty Power and Grace
Can loose the heavy chain,
Can free the feet, can cleanse the hands,
Can purge the hearth again.
“Weeping I sought the Lord of Life,
Bowed with my shame and sin;
And then unto my wondering heart
Love’s searching fire came in.
“It was with deep repentance,
I knelt down at His Feet
Who can change the sorrow into joy,
The bitter into sweet.
“I had cast away my jewels
And my rich attire;
And my breast was filled with a holy flame,
And my heart with a holy fire.
“My tears were more precious
Than my precious pearls; —
My tears that fell upon His Feet
As I wiped Them with my curls.
“My youth and my beauty
Were budding to their prime;
But I wept for the great transgression,
The sin of other time.
“Trembling betwixt hope and fear,
I sought the King of Heaven;
Forsook the evil of my ways,
Loved much, and was forgiven.
“In hope and fear I went to Him,
He broke and healed my heart;
No man was there to intercede;
As I was, so thou art.”
TO MY FRIEND ELIZABETH
with some Postage Stamps towards a collection.
Sweetest Elizabeth, accept I pray
These lowly stamps I send in homage true;
One hundred humble servants in their way
Are not to be despised, though poor to view.
Their livery of red and black, nor gay,
Nor sober all, is typical of you,
In whom are gravity and gladness mixed.
Thought here, smiles there; perfection lies betwixt.
AMORE E DOVERE
Chiami il mio core
Crudele, altero,
No non è vero,
Crudel non è:
T’ amo, t’ amai —
E tu lo sai —
Men del dovere.
Ma più di me.
O ruscelletto,
Dì al Dio d’Amore
Che questo petto,
Che questo core,
A lui ricetto
Più non darà.
L’alme tradisce
Senza rimorso ;
Non compatisce,
Non dà soccorso,
E si nudrisce
Di crudeltà.
T’intendo, ti lagni,
Mio povero core ;
T’intendo, l’amore
Si lagna di me.
Deh! placati alfine;
Mi pungon le spine
Che vengon da te.
AMORE E DISPETTO
O grande Amor possente
Che reggi la mia mente,
Odi l’umíl preghiera
D’un tristo tuo fedel:
Deh f ache Lisa altiera
Più non mi sia crudel.
Un giorno essendo stanco
Posai sull’ erba il fianco;
Mesto pensando a quella
Che questo cor ferì,
Oh quanto sembò bella,
Guardommi e poi fuggì,
Quindì la vidiandare
Con lievi passi al mare;
E parve sì pietosa
Che dissi alfin: Chi sa!
Forse, non più sdegnosa,
Verso di me sarà.
Timido allora io sorsi,
E ad incontrarla corsi;
Mi vide, e gli occhi lenti
Chinando, si arrossì;
Ed io sclamai: Deh senti,
Lisa, pietà — così
Volea seguir; ma intanto
Mi venne al ciglio il pianto;
E mi confuse i detti
Un tenero sospir;
Poi muto alquano stetti,
Ed ella prese a dir:
Amar non voglio alcuno,
E s’io volessi, l’uno
Tu non saresti. E poi
Tacendo, se ne andò. —
Se servo più mi vuoi,
Amor, tu dei far ciò;
Spirar le devi in core
Sensi d’un puro amore;
Chè se ciò far non puoi,
O se non vuoi ciò far,
Io spreaao i lacci tuoi,
E più non voglio amar.
LOVE AND HOPE
Love for ever dwells in Heaven,
Hope entereth not there.
To despairing man Love’s given,
Hope dwells not with despair.
Love reigneth high, and reigneth low, and reigneth everywhere.
In the inmost heart Love dwelleth,
It may not quenchèd be;
E’en when the life-blood welleth
Its fond effects we see.
In the name that leaves the lips the last, fades last from memory.
And when we shall awaken
Ascending to the sky,
Tho’ Hope shall have forsaken,
Sweet Love shall never die.
For perfect Love, and perfect bliss, shall be our lot on high.
SERENADE
Come, wander forth with me! the orange flowers
Breathe faintest perfume from the summer bowers.
Come, wander forth with me! the moon on high
Shines proudly in a flood of brilliancy.
Around her car each burning star
Gleams like a beacon from afar;
The night-wind scarce disturbs the sea
As it sighs forth so languidly,
Laden with sweetness like a bee;
And all is still, below, above,
Save murmurs of the turtle dove,
That murmurs ever of its love:
For now ‘tis the hour, the balmy hour
When the strains of love have chiefly power;
When the maid looks forth from her latticed bower,
With a gentle yielding smile,
Donning her mantle all the while.
Now the moon beams down on high
From her halo brilliantly;
By the dark clouds unencumbered
That once o’er her pale face slumbered.
Far from her mild rays flutters Folly,
For on them floats calm Melancholy.
A passionless sadness without dread,
Like the thought of those we loved long dead,
Full of hope and chastened joy,
Heavenly without earth’s alloy.
Listen, dearest! all is quiet,
Slumb’ring the world’s toil and riot,
And all is fair in earth and sky and sea,
Come, wander forth with me!
THE ROSE
Gentle, gentle river
Hurrying along
With a sparkle eve
r,
And a murmured song,
Pause in thine onward motion,
Fast flowing toward the ocean,
And give this rose from me
To haughty Coralie.
Tell her that love’s symbol,
The deep blushing rose,
Doth in all resemble
That it would disclose.
Untended, shortly thriving
There’ll soon be no reviving;
But nursed with kindliness
‘T will cheer life’s wilderness.
PRESENT AND FUTURE
What is life that we should love it,
Cherishing it evermore,
Never prizing aught above it,
Ever loath to give it o’er?
Is it goodness? Is it gladness?
Nay, ‘tis more of sin and sadness,
Nay, of weariness ‘tis more.
Earthly joys are very fleeting —
Earthly sorrows very long; —
Parting ever follows meeting,
Night succeeds to even-song.
Storms may darken in the morning,
And eclipse the sun’s bright dawning,
And the chilly gloom prolong.
But though clouds may screen and hide it
The sun shines for evermore;
Then bear grief in hope: abide it,
Knowing that it must give o’er:
And the darkness shall flee from us,
And the sun beam down upon us
Ever glowing more and more.
WILL THESE HANDS NE’ER BE CLEAN?
And who is this lies prostrate at thy feet?
And is he dead, thou man of wrath and pride?
Yes, now thy vengeance is complete,
Thy hate is satisfied.
What had he done to merit this of thee?
Delphi Complete Poetical Works of Christina Rossetti Page 54