第 12 节
作者:想聊      更新:2021-02-24 22:40      字数:9322
  FORMAL;          quaint;   precise;    and    trim;      You      begin    your    steps
  demurely There's a spirit almost prim               In the feet that move so surely;
  So      discreetly;    to    the    chime      Of    the    music      that    so    sweetly
  Marks the time。
  But   the   chords    begin   to  tinkle                              Quicker;     And
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  your feet   they  flash and   flicker                             Twinkle!   Flash
  and flutter to a tricksy                              Fickle meter; And you foot it
  like a pixie                             Only fleeter!
  Now our current; dowdy                                   Things
  〃Turkey…trots〃     and   rowdy                               Flings    For   they
  made you overseas In politer times than these; In an age when grace could
  please;                             Ere St。 Vitus Clutched and shook us; spine
  and knees;       Loosed a plague of jerks to smite us!
  Well; our day is far more brisk         And our manner rather slacker); And
  you    are   nothing   more   than   bisque                            And    lacquer
  But    you    shame    us   with   the  graces    Of   courtlier   times   and    places
  When the cheap And vulgar wasn't 〃art〃              When the faunal prance and
  leap                             Weren't 〃smart。〃
  Have    we   lost  the  trick  of  wedding                              Grace     to
  pleasure?   Must   we   clown   it   at   the   bidding Of   some   tawdry;   common
  measure?
  Can't   you   school   us   in   the   graces   Of   your   pose   and   dainty   paces?
  Now the chords begin to tinkle                                  Quicker And your
  feet   they   flash  and  flicker                            Twinkle!     And   you
  mock us as you featly         Swing and flutter to the chime Of the music…box
  that sweetly                              Marks the time!
  LOWER NEW YORKA STORM
  WHITE      wing'd    below    the  darkling   clouds     The    driven   sea…gulls
  wheel; The roused sea flings a storm against               The towers of stone and
  steel。
  The    very   voice  of  ocean   rings     Along    the   shaken   street  Dusk;
  storm; and beauty whelm the world             Where sea and city meet
  But what care they for flashing wings;            Quick beauty; loud refrain;
  These huddled thousands; deaf and blind             To all but greed and gain?
  AT SUNSET
  THE   sun…god   stooped   from   out   the   sky     To   kiss   the   flushing   sea;
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  While   all   the   winds   of   all   the   world Made   jovial   melody;   The   night
  came     hurrying   up   to  hide    The    lovers   with  her  tent;  The   governed
  thunders; rank on   rank;       Stood mute   with wonderment; The pale   worn
  moon; a jealous shade;         Peered from the firmament; The early stars; the
  curious   stars;    Came   peering   forth   to   see   What   mighty   nuptials   shook
  the world       With such an ecstasy Whenas the sun…god left the sky                To
  mingle with the sea。
  A CHRISTMAS GIFT
  ALACK…A…DAY for poverty! What jewels my mind
  doth give to thee!
  Carved   agate   stone   porphyrogene;   Green   emerald   and   beryl   green;
  Deep sapphine and pale amethyst; Sly opal; cloaking with a mist The levin
  of its love elate; Shy brides' pearls; flushed and delicate; Sea…colored lapis
  lazuli; Sardonyx   and chalcedony;  Enkindling  diamond; candid   gold;  Red
  rubies and red garnets bold: And all their humors should be blent               In one
  intolerable    blaze;  Barbaric;    fierce;  and  opulent;     To    dazzle   him   that
  dared to gaze!
  Alack…a…day for poverty: My rhymes are all you get of me! Yet; if your
  heart receive; behold! The worthless words are set in gold。
  SILVIA
  I STILL remember how she moved Among the rathe; wild blooms she
  loved;   (When   Spring   came   tip…toe   down   the   slopes; Atremble   'twixt   her
  doubts and hopes; Half fearful and all virginal) How Silvia sought this
  dell   to  call  Her   flowers   into  full  festival;  And    chid  them    with   this
  madrigal:
  〃The busy spider hangs the brush           With filmy gossamers; The frogs
  are  croaking in   the  creek;      The  sluggish   blacksnake stirs;   But   still   the
  ground is bare of bloom         Beneath the fragrant firs。
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  〃Arise;    arise;  O  briar   rose;    And     sleepy   violet!  Awake;     awake;
  anemone;        Your wintry dreams forget
  For shame; you tardy marigold;            Are you not budded yet?
  〃The Swallow's back; and claims the eaves               That last year were his
  home; The Robin follows where the plow                Breaks up the crusted loam;
  And Red…wings spies the Thrush and pipes:                'Look!     Speckle…breast is
  come!'
  〃Up; blooms! and storm the wooded slopes;                The lowlands and the
  plain Blow; jonquil; blow your golden horn              Across the ranks of rain!
  To arms! to arms! and put to flight          The Winter's broken train!〃
  She paused beside this selfsame rill; And as she ceased; a daffodil Held
  up reproachfully his head And fluttered into speech; and said:
  〃Chide not the flowers!       You little know Of all their travail 'neath the
  snow;
  Their   struggling   hours   Of   choking   sorrow   underground。         Chide
  not   the   flowers!   You   little   guess   of   that   profound And   blind;   dumb
  agony of ours!           Yet; victor here beside the rill; I greet the light that I
  have found;          A Daffodil!〃
  And when the Daffodil was done A boastful Marigold spake on:
  〃Oh; chide the white frost; if you choose; The heavy clod; so hard to
  loose;      The preying powers Of worm and insect underground。                   Chide
  not the flowers! For spite of scathe and cruel wound;               Unconquered by
  the  sunless   hours;        I   rise   in   regal   pride;   a   bold And   golden…hearted;
  golden…crowned            Marsh Marigold!〃
  And when she came no more; her creek Would not believe; but bade us
  seek
  Hither; yon; and to and fro Everywhere that children go               When the
  Spring      Is on the wing And the winds of April blow 〃I will never think
  her dead; 〃She will come again!〃 it said; And then the birds that use the
  vale; Broken…hearted; turned the tale Into syllables of song And chirped it
  half a summer long:
  〃Silvia;   Silvia;    Be   our   Song   once   more;   Our   vale   revisit;   Silvia;
  And be our Song once more: For joy lies sleeping in the lute; The merry
  pipe;   the   woodland   flute;   And   all   the   pleading   reeds   are   mute That
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  breathed to thee of yore。
  〃Silvia; Silvia;      Be our Moon again;
  Shine on our   valley;  Silvia; And   be our Moon   again: The   fluffy  owl
  and nightingale Flit silent through the darkling vale; Or utter only words
  of wail      From throats all harsh with pain。
  〃Silvia;   Silvia;     Be   Springtime;   as   of   old;   Come   clad   in   laughter;
  Silvia;      Our   Springtime;   as   of   old: The   waiting   lowlands   and   the   hills
  Are tremulous with daffodils Unblown; until thy footstep thrills                     Their
  promise into gold。〃
  And; musing on her here; I too Must wonder if it can be true She died;
  as other mortals do。 The thought would fit her more; to feign                   That; full
  of life and unaware That earth holds aught of grief or stain;                  The fairies
  stole and hold her where Death enters not; nor strife nor pain;
  That; drowsing on some bed of pansies; By Titania's necromancies Her
  senses were to slumber lulled; Deeply sunken; steeped and dulled;                      And
  by   wafture   of   swift   pinions   She   was   borne   out   through   earth's   portals
  To the fairy queen's dominions; To some land of the immortals。
  THE EXPLORERS
  AND      some    still  cry:  〃What    is  the  use?      The    service    rendered?
  What the gain? Heroic; yes!but in what cause?                   Have they made less
  one   earth…borne