Part 6

THE GRAVE AND THE ROSE.

VICTOR HUGO.

THE Grave said to the Rose, ‘What of the dews of dawn, Love’s flower, what end is theirs?’ ‘And what of spirits flown, The souls whereon doth close The tomb’s mouth unawares?’ The Rose said to the Grave.

The Rose said, ‘In the shade From the dawn’s tears is made A perfume faint and strange, Amber and honey sweet.’ ‘And all the spirits fleet Do suffer a sky-change, More strangely than the dew, To God’s own angels new,’ The Grave said to the Rose.

THE GENESIS OF BUTTERFLIES.

VICTOR HUGO.

THE dawn is smiling on the dew that covers The tearful roses; lo, the little lovers That kiss the buds, and all the flutterings In jasmine bloom, and privet, of white wings, That go and come, and fly, and peep and hide, With muffled music, murmured far and wide! Ah, Spring time, when we think of all the lays That dreamy lovers send to dreamy mays, Of the fond hearts within a billet bound, Of all the soft silk paper that pens wound, The messages of love that mortals write Filled with intoxication of delight, Written in April, and before the May time Shredded and flown, play things for the wind’s play-time, We dream that all white butterflies above, Who seek through clouds or waters souls to love, And leave their lady mistress in despair, To flit to flowers, as kinder and more fair, Are but torn love-letters, that through the skies Flutter, and float, and change to Butterflies.

MORE STRONG THAN TIME.

VICTOR HUGO.

SINCE I have set my lips to your full cup, my sweet, Since I my pallid face between your hands have laid, Since I have known your soul, and all the bloom of it, And all the perfume rare, now buried in the shade;

Since it was given to me to hear one happy while, The words wherein your heart spoke all its mysteries, Since I have seen you weep, and since I have seen you smile, Your lips upon my lips, and your eyes upon my eyes;

Since I have known above my forehead glance and gleam, A ray, a single ray, of your star, veiled always, Since I have felt the fall, upon my lifetime’s stream, Of one rose petal plucked from the roses of your days;

I now am bold to say to the swift changing hours, Pass, pass upon your way, for I grow never old, Fleet to the dark abysm with all your fading flowers, One rose that none may pluck, within my heart I hold.

Your flying wings may smite, but they can never spill The cup fulfilled of love, from which my lips are wet; My heart has far more fire than you have frost to chill, My soul more love than you can make my soul forget.

AN OLD TUNE.

GERARD DE NERVAL.

THERE is an air for which I would disown Mozart’s, Rossini’s, Weber’s melodies,— A sweet sad air that languishes and sighs, And keeps its secret charm for me alone.

Whene’er I hear that music vague and old, Two hundred years are mist that rolls away; The thirteenth Louis reigns, and I behold A green land golden in the dying day.

An old red castle, strong with stony towers, The windows gay with many coloured glass; Wide plains, and rivers flowing among flowers, That bathe the castle basement as they pass.

In antique weed, with dark eyes and gold hair, A lady looks forth from her window high; It may be that I knew and found her fair, In some forgotten life, long time gone by.

JUANA.

ALFRED DE MUSSET.

AGAIN I see you, ah my queen, Of all my old loves that have been, The first love, and the tenderest; Do you remember or forget— Ah me, for I remember yet— How the last summer days were blest?

Ah lady, when we think of this, The foolish hours of youth and bliss, How fleet, how sweet, how hard to hold! How old we are, ere spring be green! You touch the limit of eighteen And I am twenty winters old.

My rose, that mid the red roses, Was brightest, ah, how pale she is! Yet keeps the beauty of her prime; Child, never Spanish lady’s face Was lovely with so wild a grace; Remember the dead summer time.

Think of our loves, our feuds of old, And how you gave your chain of gold To me for a peace offering; And how all night I lay awake To touch and kiss it for your sake,— To touch and kiss the lifeless thing.

Lady, beware, for all we say, This Love shall live another day, Awakened from his deathly sleep; The heart that once has been your shrine For other loves is too divine; A home, my dear, too wide and deep.

What did I say—why do I dream? Why should I struggle with the stream Whose waves return not any day? Close heart, and eyes, and arms from me; Farewell, farewell! so must it be, So runs, so runs, the world away,