Here death may deal not again for ever; 65 Here change may come not till all change end. From the graves they have made they shall rise up never, Who have left nought living to ravage and rend. Earth, stones, and thorns of the wild ground growing, 69 While the sun and the rain live, these shall be ; Till a last wind's breath upon all these blowing Roll the sea. Till the slow sea rise and the sheer cliff crumble, Till terrace and meadow the deep gulfs drink, Till the strength of the waves of the high tides humble 75 The fields that lessen, the rocks that shrink ; Here now in his triumph where all things falter, Stretched out on the spoils that his own hand spread, As a god self-slain on his own strange altar, Who may praise her? Eyes where midnight shames the sun, 5 Love untold 2 Sings in silence, speaks in light Still from heaven, whence toward us, now 3 Love's deep duty, Even when love transfigured grows Worship, all too surely knows How, though love may cast out fear, Yet the debt divine and dear Due to childhood's godhead here Nought is all 4 Sung or said or dreamed or thought All the love that man may give— Love whose prayer should be, 'Forgive !' Rise and fall. No man living, 5 No man dead, save haply one Now gone homeward past the sun 10 15 20 25 30 35 Ever found such grace as might 6 Hope that smiled, Seeing her new-born beauty, made Seeing the sun, afar above, Warm the nest that rears the dove, Sees, more bright than moon or sun, Little child. 7 Who may sing her? Wings of angels when they stir 40 45 50 55 Make no music worthy her: Sweeter sound her shy soft words Here than songs of God's own birds Whom the fire of rapture girds Round with light from love's face lit : Gifts to bring her. 8 Babes at birth Wear as raiment round them cast, Keep as witness toward their past, Proof of unforgotten skies Here on earth. 60 65 70 9 Quenched as embers Quenched with flakes of rain or snow Now they share not heaven, forget: A. C. SWINBURNE. 396 ODE We are the music-makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams ;- On whom the pale moon gleams : We fashion an empire's glory: One man with a dream, at pleasure, We, in the ages lying In the buried past of the earth, And Babel itself in our mirth; 75 80 5 10 15 20 A breath of our inspiration A wondrous thing of our dreaming, Till our dream shall become their present, And their work in the world be done. They had no vision amazing 25 30 35 And therefore to-day is thrilling 41 In the faith that their fathers resisted, And, scorning the dream of to-morrow, Are bringing to pass, as they may, In the world, for its joy or its sorrow, The dream that was scorned yesterday. But we, with our dreaming and singing, The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see, Our souls with high music ringing: O men! it must ever be 45 50 That we dwell, in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. For we are afar with the dawning And the suns that are not yet high, And out of the infinite morning Intrepid you hear us cry— 56 60 |