r. f. murray-第13章

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They　shall　see　the　selfsame　sun　That　your　eyes　now　gaze　upon；　They　shall　breathe　the　same　sweet　air；　And　shall　reck　not　who　ye　were。

Yet　they　too　shall　fade　at　last　In　the　twilight　of　the　past；　They　and　you　alike　shall　be　Lost　from　the　world's　memory。

Then；　while　yet　ye　breathe　and　live；　Drink　the　cup　that　life　can　give。　Be　ye　happy；　if　ye　may；　In　the　years　that　pass　away；

Ere　the　golden　bowl　be　broken；　Ere　ye　pass　and　leave　no　token；　Ere　the　silver　cord　be　loosed；　Ere　ye　turn　again　to　dust。

‘And　shall　this　be　all；'　ye　cry；　‘But　to　eat　and　drink　and　die？　If　no　more　than　this　there　be；　Vanity　of　vanity！'

Yea；　all　things　are　vanity；　And　what　else　but　vain　are　ye？　Ye　who　boast　yourselves　the　kings　Over　all　created　things。

Kings！　whence　came　your　right　to　reign？　Ye　shall　be　dethroned　again。　Yet　for　this；　your　one　brief　hour；　Wield　your　mockery　of　power。

Dupes　of　Fate；　that　treads　you　down　Wear　awhile　your　tinsel　crown　Be　ye　happy；　if　ye　may；　In　the　years　that　pass　away。



LOVE'S　WORSHIP　RESTORED



O　Love；　thine　empire　is　not　dead；　Nor　will　we　let　thy　worship　go；　Although　thine　early　flush　be　fled；　Thine　ardent　eyes　more　faintly　glow；　And　thy　light　wings　be　fallen　slow　Since　when　as　novices　we　came　Into　the　temple　of　thy　name。

Not　now　with　garlands　in　our　hair；　And　singing　lips；　we　come　to　thee。　There　is　a　coldness　in　the　air；　A　dulness　on　the　encircling　sea；　Which　doth　not　well　with　songs　agree。　And　we　forget　the　words　we　sang　When　first　to　thee　our　voices　rang。

When　we　recall　that　magic　prime；　We　needs　must　weep　its　early　death。　How　pleasant　from　thy　towers　the　chime　Of　bells；　and　sweet　the　incense　breath　That　rose　while　we；　who　kept　thy　faith；　Chanting　our　creed；　and　chanting　bore　Our　offerings　to　thine　altar　store！

Now　are　our　voices　out　of　tune；　Our　gifts　unworthy　of　thy　name。　December　frowns；　in　place　of　June。　Who　smiled　when　to　thy　house　we　came；　We　who　came　leaping；　now　are　lame。　Dull　ears　and　failing　eyes　are　ours；　And　who　shall　lead　us　to　thy　towers？

O　hark！　　A　sound　across　the　air；　Which　tells　not　of　December's　cold；　A　sound　most　musical　and　rare。　Thy　bells　are　ringing　as　of　old；　With　silver　throats　and　tongues　of　gold。　Alas！　it　is　too　sweet　for　truth；　An　empty　echo　of　our　youth。

Nay；　never　echo　spake　so　loud！　It　is　indeed　thy　bells　that　ring。　And　lo；　against　the　leaden　cloud；　Thy　towers！　　Once　more　we　leap　and　spring；　Once　more　melodiously　we　sing；　We　sing；　and　in　our　song　forget　That　winter　lies　around　us　yet。

Oh；　what　is　winter；　now　we　know；　Full　surely；　thou　canst　never　fail？　Forgive　our　weak　untrustful　woe；　Which　deemed　thy　glowing　face　grown　pale。　We　know　thee；　mighty　to　prevail。　Doubt　and　decrepitude　depart；　And　youth　comes　back　into　the　heart。

O　Love；　who　turnest　frost　to　flame　With　ardent　and　immortal　eyes；　Whose　spirit　sorrow　cannot　tame；　Nor　time　subdue　in　any　wise　…　While　sun　and　moon　for　us　shall　rise；　Oh；　may　we　in　thy　service　keep　Till　in　thy　faith　we　fall　asleep！



BELOW　HER　WINDOW



Where　she　sleeps；　no　moonlight　shines　No　pale　beam　unbidden　creeps。　Darkest　shade　the　place　enshrines　Where　she　sleeps。

Like　a　diamond　in　the　deeps　Of　the　rich　unopened　mines　There　her　lovely　rest　she　keeps。

Though　the　jealous　dark　confines　All　her　beauty；　Love's　heart　leaps。　His　unerring　thought　divines　Where　she　sleeps。



REQUIEM



For　thee　the　birds　shall　never　sing　again；　Nor　fresh　green　leaves　come　out　upon　the　tree；　The　brook　shall　no　more　murmur　the　refrain　For　thee。

Thou　liest　underneath　the　windswept　lea；　Thou　dreamest　not　of　pleasure　or　of　pain；　Thou　dreadest　no　to…morrow　that　shall　be。

Deep　rest　is　thine；　unbroken　by　the　rain；　Ay；　or　the　thunder。　　Brother；　canst　thou　see　The　tears　that　night　and　morning　fall　in　vain　For　thee？



THOU　ART　QUEEN



Thou　art　queen　to　every　eye；　When　the　fairest　maids　convene。　Envy's　self　can　not　deny　Thou　art　queen。

In　thy　step　thy　right　is　seen；　In　thy　beauty　pure　and　high；　In　thy　grace　of　air　and　mien。

Thine　unworthy　vassal　I；　Lay　my　hands　thy　hands　between；　Kneeling　at　thy　feet　I　cry　Thou　art　queen！



IN　TIME　OF　DOUBT



‘In　the　shadow　of　Thy　wings；　O　Lord　of　Hosts；　whom　I　extol；　I　will　put　my　trust　for　ever；'　so　the　kingly　David　sings。　‘Thou　shalt　help　me；　Thou　shalt　save　me；　only　Thou　shalt　keep　me　whole；　In　the　shadow　of　Thy　wings。'

In　our　ears　this　voice　triumphant；　like　a　blowing　trumpet；　rings；　But　our　hearts　have　heard　another；　as　of　funeral　bells　that　toll；　‘God　of　David　where　to　find　Thee？'　　No　reply　the　question　brings。

Shadows　are　there　overhead；　but　they　are　of　the　clouds　that　roll；　Blotting　out　the　sun　from　sight；　and　overwhelming　earthly　things。　Oh；　that　we　might　feel　Thy　presence！　　Surely　we　could　rest　our　soul　In　the　shadow　of　Thy　wings。



THE　GARDEN　OF　SIN



I　know　the　garden…close　of　sin；　The　cloying　fruits；　the　noxious　flowers；　I　long　have　roamed　the　walks　and　bowers；　Desiring　what　no　man　shall　win：

A　secret　place　to　shelter　in；　When　soon　or　late　the　angry　powers　Come　down　to　seek　the　wretch　who　cowers；　Expecting　judgment　to　begin。

The　pleasure　long　has　passed　away　From　flowers　and　fruit；　each　hour　I　dread　My　doom　will　find　me　where　I　lie。　I　dare　not　go；　I　dare　not　stay。　Without　the　walks；　my　hope　is　dead；　Within　them；　I　myself　must　die。



URSULA



There　is　a　village　in　a　southern　land；　By　rounded　hills　closed　in　on　every　hand。　The　streets　slope　steeply　to　the　market…square；　Long　lines　of　white…washed　houses；　clean　and　fair；　With　roofs　irregular；　and　steps　of　stone　Ascending　to　the　front　of　every　one。　The　people　swarthy；　idle；　full　of　mirth；　Live　mostly　by　the　tillage　of　the　earth。

Upon　the　northern　hill…top；　looking　down；　Like　some　sequestered　saint　upon　the　town；　Stands　the　great　convent。

On　a　summer　night；　Ten　years　ago；　the　moon　with　rising　light　Made　all　the　convent　towers　as　clear　as　day；　While　still　in　deepest　shade　the　village　lay。　Both　light　and　shadow　with　repose　were　filled；　The　village　sounds；　the　convent　bells　were　stilled。　No　foot　in　all　the　streets　was　now　astir；　And　in　the　convent　none　kept　watch　but　her　Whom　they　called　Ursula。　　The　moonlight　fell　Brightly　around　her　in　the　lonely　cell。　Her　eyes　were　dark；　and　full　of　unshed　woe；　Like　mountain　tarns　which　cannot　overflow；　Surcharged　with　rain；　and　round　about　the　eyes　Deep　rings　recorded　sleepless　nights；　and　cries　Stifled　before　their　birth。　　Her　brow　was　pale；　And　like　a　marble　temple　in　a　vale　Of　cypress　trees；　shone　shadowed　by　her　hair。　So　still　she　was；　that　had　you　seen　her　there；　You　might　have　thought　you　were　beholding　death。　Her　lips　were　parted；　but　if　any　breath　Came　from　between　them；　it　were　hard　to　know　By　any　movement　of　her　breast　of　snow。

But　when　the　summer　night　was　now　far　spent；　She　kneeled　upon　the　floor。　　Her　head　she　leant　Down　on　the　cold　stone　of　the　window…seat。　God　knows　if　there　were　any　vital　heat　In　those　pale　brows；　or　if　they　chilled　the　stone。　And　as　she　knelt；　she　made　a　bitter　moan；　With　words　that　issued　from　a　bitter　soul；　…　‘O　Mary；　Mother；　and　is　this　thy　goal；　Thy　peace　which　waiteth　for　the　world…worn　heart？　Is　it　for　this　I　live　and　die　apart　From　all　that　once　I　knew？　　O　Holy　God；　Is　this　the　blessed　chastening　of　Thy　rod；　Which　only　wounds　to　heal？　　Is　this　the　cross　That　I　must　carry；　counting　all　for　loss　Which　once　was　precious　in　the　world　to　me？　If　Thou　be　God；　blot　out　my　memory；　And　let　me　come；　forsaking　all；　to　Thee。　But　here；　though　that　old　world　beholds　me　not；　Here；　though　I　seek　Thee　through　my　lonely　lot；　Here；　though　I　fast；　do　penance　day　by　day；　Kneel　at　Thy　feet；　and　ever　watch　and　pray；　Beloved　forms　from　that　forsaken　world　Revisit　me。　　The　pale　blue　smoke　is　curled　Up　from　the　dwellings　of　the　sons　of　men。　I　see　it；　and　all　my　heart　turns　back　again　From　seeking　Thee；　to　find　the　forms　I　love。

‘Thou；　with　Thy　saints　abiding　far　above；　What　canst　Thou　know　of　this；　my　earthly　pain？　They　said　to　me；　Thou　shalt　be　born　again；　And　learn　that　worldly　things　are　nothing　worth；　In　that　new　state。　　O　God；　is　this　new　birth；　Birth　of　the　spirit　dying　to　the　flesh？　Are　these　the　living　waters　which　refresh　The　thirsty　spirit；　that　it　thirst　no　more？　Still　all　my　life　is　thirsting　to　the　core。　Tho