Convenient for their youth and timid hearts; Yon sail, that twinkles on the far sea marge, My boys have hoisted; having rowed out thither, They now await the freshening breeze of night, Amid the hooves whirled by a frantic steed, Her head trailed through the dust, her poor bruised face Like a down-beaten muddied flower, fainted, Her white hands trodden upon, Her white hands trodden upon. Behold, its first flaw travels the calm bay. What pain! alas, what pain! 60 What hast thou seen, ah me! that makes thee weep That art not wont to weep? Thou cam'st so straight, That com'st at other times so waywardly;- Seeking the ferret's hole beneath the hedge, Chasing the rabbit with a merry whoop, Mocking the blue-tit swinging upsidedown With his "chin chin," thy fingers in thy teeth, From lichened bowl picking the mealy moth, 70 And prying into all creation's hopes. What ails thee? hast thou seen a goddess fight? For goddesses do fight among the gods, Though men with women fight not on the earth. Faun Ahi, ahi, ahi! if they did not Flaunting her cape of spotted leopard I should be as I always am`to-day, In the boughs of an oak I have quaked, where four roads met, To watch upon either hand draw near to the cross A boy and a girl both lovely and light of foot, With life escaping out of unhindering eyes; My heart has ached for fear that they should not laugh, Not utter the kindly word when they met, but withstand The power of either's beauty, and shamefac'd pass, Fighting desire in their breasts for lack of a heart Gallant with daring and sense; my pulse has stood still. 130 Each fronted each; but with a shout like Such as the Spring befit, rehearsed those a curse, crimes 170 With a yell that had stricken the lion's With which the Autumn rude thy soul had heart with fear, They on to each other rushed. Ah! the eyes, that saw it, bleed; These were men, that their terrible spears laden: For know, the gently reared have gentle hearts. Faun Nay, this was no dream; not at all! These were men, who the well-aimed Oh, believe me! for I have plucked no berries, Have eaten no spotted leaf nor any tongue-shaped, Like the adder's tongue, so shaped, so venomed, Nor none with prickles touched; the wholesome alone Have made my salads, and I am not deceived; It was there, I can show thee the place, and lead thee thither: Nor these were not country wenches, 180 Nor did them resemble as dreams resemble The world and men and gods; These were the make of princesses, as thou hast told me; And tended flowers that stand thy house before Over the weed in the ditch bear not the There, with life-giving scent of May-time Like the arms of the evening thrown up turf And blossoms's bounty floating the air of night, Thy nostrils dilating, colored thy dream has been for weariness Such was the radiance of their arms; but thrown up, Oh! thrown up in fright, in terror thrown up, With delicate clarity; while agile forms, Those lovely and blood-splashed arms! |