第3章

SONGOFTHESOLDIERS\'WIVES

I

Atlast！Insightofhomeagain，Ofhomeagain;

NomoretorangeandroamagainAsatthatbygonetime？

NomoretogoawayfromusAndstayfromus？

Dawn，holdnotlongthedayfromus，Butquickenittoprime！

II

Nowallthetownshallringtothem，Shallringtothem，AndwewholovethemclingtothemAndclaspthemjoyfully;

Andcry，\"Omuchwe\'lldoforyouAnewforyou，DearLoves！—aye，drawandhewforyou，Comebackfromoversea。\"

III

Sometoldusweshouldmeetnomore，Shouldmeetnomore;

Shouldwait，andwish，butgreetnomoreYourfacesroundourfires;

That，inawhile，uncharilyAnddrearilyMengavetheirlives—evenwearily，Likethosewhomlivingtires。

IV

Andnowyouarenearinghomeagain，Dears，homeagain;

Nomore，maybe，toroamagainAsatthatbygonetime，WhichtookyoufarawayfromusTostayfromus;

Dawn，holdnotlongthedayfromus，Butquickenittoprime！

THESICKGOD

I

Indayswhenmenhadjoyofwar，AGodofBattlesspedeachmortaljar;

Thepeoplespledgedhimheartandhand，FromIsrael\'slandtoislesafar。

II

Hiscrimsonform，withclangandchime，Flashedoneachmurkandmurderousmeeting—time，Andkingsinvoked，forrapeandraid，Hisfearsomeaidinruneandrhyme。

III

Onbruiseandblood—hole，scarandseam，Onbladeandbolt，heflunghisfulgidbeam:

Hishaloesrayedtheverygore，Andcorpsesworehisglory—gleam。

IV

OftenanearlyKingorQueen，Andstoriedheroonward，knewhissheen;

\'TwasglimpsedbyWolfe，byNeyanon，AndNelsononhisbluedemesne。

V

Butnewlightspread。Thatgod\'sgoldnimbAndblazonhavewaneddimmerandmoredim;

Evenhisflushedformbeginstofade，Tillbutashadeisleftofhim。

VI

ThatmodernmeditationbrokeHisspell，thatpenmen\'spleadingsdealtastroke，Saysome;andsomethatcrimestoodireDidmuchtomirehiscrimsoncloak。

VII

Yea，seedsofcrescivesympathyWeresownbythosemoreexcellentthanhe，Longknown，thoughlongcontemnedtillthen

Thegodsofmeninamity。

VIII

Soulshavegrownseers，andthoughtout—bringsThemournfulmany—sidednessofthingsWithfoesasfriends，enfeeblingiresAndfury—firesbygaingivings！

IX

Hescarceimpassionschampionsnow;

Theydoanddare，buttensely—paleofbrow;

AndwouldtheyfainupliftthearmOfthatfaintformtheyknownothow。

X

Yetwarsarise，thoughzestgrowscold;

Wherefore，atwhiles，as\'twereinancientmouldHelooms，bepatchedwithpaintandlath;

Butneverhathheseemedtheold！

XI

Letmenrejoice，letmendeplore。

TheluridDeityofheretoforeSuccumbstooneofsanernod;

TheBattle—godisgodnomore。

GENOAANDTHEMEDITERRANEAN

（March，1887）

Oepic—famed，god—hauntedCentralSea，HeavecarelessofthedeepwrongdonetotheeWhenfromTorino\'strackIsawthyfacefirstflashonme。

AndmultimarbledGenovatheProud，Gleamallunconscioushow，wide—lipped，up—browed，Ifirstbeheldtheeclad—notastheBeautybuttheDowd。

Outfromadeep—delvedwaymyvisionlitOnhousebackspink，green，ochreous—whereaslitShoreward\'twixtrowandrowrevealedtheclassicbluethroughit。

Andthereacrosswavedfishwives\'high—hungsmocks，Chromekerchiefs，scarlethose，darnedunderfrocks;

Sincewhentoooftmydreamsofthee，OQueen，thatfripperymocks:

WhereatIgrieve，Superba！AfterhoursWithinPalazzoDoria\'sorangebowersWentfartomendthesemarringsofthysoul—sublimingpowers。

But，Queen，suchsqualidundressnoneshouldsee，Thosedream—endangeringeyewoundsnomorebeWhereloversfirstbeholdthyforminpilgrimagetothee。

SHELLEY\'SSKYLARK

（TheneighbourhoodofLeghorn:March，1887）

SomewhereafieldheresomethingliesInEarth\'sobliviouseyelesstrustThatmovedapoettoprophecies

Apinchofunseen，unguardeddustThedustofthelarkthatShelleyheard，Andmadeimmortalthroughtimestobe;

Thoughitonlylivedlikeanotherbird，Andknewnotitsimmortality。

Liveditsmeeklife;then，oneday，fell

Alittleballoffeatherandbone;

Andhowitperished，whenpipedfarewell，Andwhereitwastes，arealikeunknown。

MaybeitrestsintheloamIview，Maybeitthrobsinamyrtle\'sgreen，MaybeitsleepsinthecominghueOfagrapeontheslopesofyoninlandscene。

Gofindit，faeries，goandfindThattinypinchofpricelessdust，Andbringacasketsilver—lined，Andframedofgoldthatgemsencrust;

Andwewilllayitsafetherein，Andconsecrateittoendlesstime;

ForitinspiredabardtowinEcstaticheightsinthoughtandrhyme。

INTHEOLDTHEATRE，FIESOLE

（April，1887）

ItracedtheCircuswhosegraystonesinclineWhereRomeanddimEtruriainterjoin，TillcameachildwhoshowedanancientcoinThatboretheimageofaConstantine。

Shelightlypassed;nordidsheonceopineHow，betterthanallbooks，shehadraisedformeInswiftperspectiveEurope\'shistoryThroughthevastyearsofCaesar\'ssceptredline。

ForinmydistantplotofEnglishloam\'Twasbuttodelve，andstraightwaytheretofindCoinsoflikeimpress。AswithonehalfblindWhomcommonsimplescure，heractflashedhomeInthatmutemomenttomyopenedmindThepower，thepride，thereachofperishedRome。

ROME:ONTHEPALATINE

（April，1887）

WewalkedwhereVictorJovewasshrinedawhile，AndpassedtoLivia\'srichredmuralshow，Whence，thriddingcaveandCriptoportico，WegainedCaligula\'sdissolvingpile。

AndeachrankedruintendedtobeguileTheoutersense，andshapeitselfasthoughItworeitsmarblehues，itspristineglowOfscenicfriezeandpompousperistyle。

Whenlo，swifthands，onstringsnighover—head，BegantomelodizeawaltzbyStrauss:

ItstirredmeasIstood，inCaesar\'shouse，RaisedtheoldroutsImperiallyreshadled，Andblendedpulsinglifewithliveslongdone，TillTimeseemedfiction，PastandPresentone。

ROME

BUILDINGANEWSTREETINTHEANCIENTQUARTER

（April，1887）

ThesenumberedcliffsandgnarlsofmasonryOutskeletonTime\'scentralcity，Rome;

Whereofeacharch，entablature，anddomeLiesbareinallitsgauntanatomy。

AndcrackingfriezeandrottenmetopeExpress，asthoughtheywereanopentomeTop—linedwithcausticmonitorygnome;

\"Dunces，LearnheretospellHumanity！\"

Andyetwithintheseruins\'veryshadeThesingingworkmenshapeandsetandjoinTheirfrailnewmansion\'sstuccoedcoveandquoinWithnoapparentsensethatyearsabrade，ThougheachrentwalltheirfeebleworksinvadeOnceshamedallsuchinpowerofpierandgroin。

ROME