the home book of verse-1-第49章
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A PORTRAIT
〃One name is Elizabeth〃 Ben Jonson
I will paint her as I see her。
Ten times have the lilies blown
Since she looked upon the sun。
And her face is lily…clear;
Lily…shaped; and dropped in duty
To the law of its own beauty。
Oval cheeks encolored faintly;
Which a trail of golden hair
Keeps from fading off to air:
And a forehead fair and saintly;
Which two blue eyes undershine;
Like meek prayers before a shrine。
Face and figure of a child; …
Though too calm; you think; and tender;
For the childhood you would lend her。
Yet child…simple; undefiled;
Frank; obedient; waiting still
On the turnings of your will。
Moving light; as all young things;
As young birds; or early wheat
When the wind blows over it。
Only; free from flutterings
Of loud mirth that scorneth measure …
Taking love for her chief pleasure。
Choosing pleasures; for the rest;
Which come softly … just as she;
When she nestles at your knee。
Quiet talk she liketh best;
In a bower of gentle looks; …
Watering flowers; or reading books。
And her voice; it murmurs lowly;
As a silver stream may run;
Which yet feels (you feel) the sun。
And her smile it seems half holy;
As if drawn from thoughts more far
Than our common jestings are。
And if any poet knew her;
He would sing of her with falls
Used in lovely madrigals。
And if any painter drew her;
He would paint her unaware
With a halo round her hair。
And if reader read the poem;
He would whisper … 〃You have done a
Consecrated little Una!〃
And a dreamer (did you show him
That same picture) would exclaim;
〃'Tis my angel; with a name!〃
And a stranger; … when he sees her
In the street even … smileth stilly;
Just as you would at a lily。
And all voices that address her;
Soften; sleeken every word;
As if speaking to a bird。
And all fancies yearn to cover
The hard earth; whereon she passes;
With the thymy…scented grasses。
And all hearts do pray; 〃God love her!〃
Ay and always; in good sooth;
We may all be sure HE DOTH。
Elizabeth Barrett Browning '1806…1861'
TO A CHILD OF FANCY
The nests are in the hedgerows;
The lambs are on the grass;
With laughter sweet as music
The hours lightfooted pass;
My darling child of fancy;
My winsome prattling lass。
Blue eyes; with long brown lashes;
Thickets of golden curl;
Red little lips disclosing
Twin rows of fairy pearl;
Cheeks like the apple blossom;
Voice lightsome as the merle。
A whole Spring's fickle changes;
In every short…lived day;
A passing cloud of April;
A flowery smile of May;
A thousand quick mutations
From graver moods to gay。
Far off; I see the season
When thy childhood's course is run;
And thy girlhood opens wider
Beneath the growing sun;
And the rose begins to redden;
But the violets are done。
And further still the summer;
When thy fair tree; fully grown;
Shall bourgeon; and grow splendid
With blossoms of its own;
And the fruit begins to gather;
But the buttercups are mown。
If I should see thy autumn;
'Twill not be close at hand;
But with a spirit vision;
From some far…distant land。
Or; perhaps; I hence may see thee
Amongst the angels stand。
I know not what of fortune
The future holds for thee;
Nor if skies fair or clouded
Wait thee in days to be;
But neither joy nor sorrow
Shall sever thee from me。
Dear child; whatever changes
Across our lives may pass;
I shall see thee still for ever;
Clearly as in a glass;
The same sweet child of fancy;
The same dear winsome lass。
Lewis Morris '1833…1907'
DAISY
Where the thistle lifts a purple crown
Six foot out of the turf;
And the harebell shakes on the windy hill …
O the breath of the distant surf! …
The hills look over on the South;
And southward dreams the sea;
And with the sea…breeze hand in hand
Came innocence and she。
Where 'mid the gorse the raspberry
Red for the gatherer springs;
Two children did we stray and talk
Wise; idle; childish things。
She listened with big…lipped surprise;
Breast…deep 'mid flower and spine:
Her skin was like a grape; whose veins
Run snow instead of wine。
She knew not those sweet words she spake;
Nor knew her own sweet way;
But there's never a bird; so sweet a song
Thronged in whose throat that day!
Oh; there were flowers in Storrington
On the turf and on the spray;
But the sweetest flower on Sussex hills
Was the Daisy…flower that day!
Her beauty smoothed earth's furrowed face!
She gave me tokens three: …
A look; a word of her winsome mouth;
And a wild raspberry。
A berry red; a guileless look;
A still word; … strings of sand!
And yet they made my wild; wild heart
Fly down to her little hand。
For standing artless as the air;
And candid as the skies;
She took the berries with her hand;
And the love with her sweet eyes。
The fairest things have fleetest end:
Their scent survives their close;
But the rose's scent is bitterness
To him that loved the rose!
She looked a little wistfully;
Then went her sunshine way: …
The sea's eye had a mist on it;
And the leaves fell from the day。
She went her unremembering way;
She went and left in me
The pang of all the partings gone;
And partings yet to be。
She left me marveling why my soul
Was sad that she was glad;
At all the sadness in the sweet;
The sweetness in the sad。
Still; still I seemed to see her; still
Look up with soft replies;
And take the berries with her hand;
And the love with her lovely eyes。
Nothing begins; and nothing ends;
That is not paid with moan;
For we are born in others' pain;
And perish in our own。
Francis Thompson '1859?…1907'
TO PETRONILLA WHO HAS PUT UP HER HAIR
Yesterday it blew alway;
Yesterday is dead;
Now forever must it stay
Coiled about your head;
Tell me Whence the great Command
Hitherward has sped。
〃Silly boy; as if I knew;〃
Petronilla said。
Nay; but I am very sure;
Since you left my side;
Something has befallen you;
You are fain to hide;
Homage has been done to you;
Innocents have died。
〃Silly boy; and what of that?〃
Petronilla cried。
Petronilla; much I fear
Scarcely have you wept
All those merry yesterdays;
Slaughtered whilst you slept;
Slain to bind that pretty crown
Closer round your head。
〃Silly boy; as if I cared;〃
Petronilla said。
Henry Howarth Bashford '1880…
THE GYPSY GIRL
Passing I saw her as she stood beside
A lonely stream between two barren wolds;
Her loose vest hung in rudely gathered folds
On her swart bosom; which in maiden pride
Pillowed a string of pearls; among her hair
Twined the light bluebell and the stone…crop gay;
And not far thence the small encampment lay;
Curling its wreathed smoke into the air。
She seemed a child of some sun…favored clime;
So still; so habited to warmth and rest;
And in my wayward musings on past time;
When my thought fills with treasured memories;
That image nearest borders on the blest
Creations of pure art that never dies。
Henry Alford '1810…1871'
FANNY
A Southern Blossom
Come and see her as she stands;
Crimson roses in her hands;
And her eyes
Are as dark as Southern night;
Yet than Southern dawn more bright;
And a soft; alluring light
In them lies。
None deny if she beseech
With that pretty; liquid speech
Of the South。
All her consonants are slurred;
And the vowels are preferred;
There's a poem in each word
From that mouth。
Even Cupid is her slave;
Of her arrows; half he gave
Her one day
In a merry; playful hour。
Dowered with these and beauty's dower;
Strong indeed her magic power;
So they say。
Venus; not to be outdone
By her generous little son;
Shaped the mouth
Very like to Cupid's bow。
Lack…a…day! Our North can show
No such lovely flowers as grow
In the South!
Anne Reeve Aldrich '1866…1892'
SOMEBODY'S CHILD
Just a picture of Somebody's child; …
Sweet face set in golden hair;
Violet eyes; and cheeks of rose;
Rounded chin; with a dimple there;
Tender eyes where the shadows sleep;
Lit from within by a secret ray; …
Tender eyes that will shine like stars
When love and womanhood come this way:
Scarlet lips with a story to tell; …
Blessed be he who shall find it out;
Who shall learn the eyes' deep secret well;
And read the heart with never a doubt。
Then you will tremble; scarlet lips;
Then you will crimson; loveliest cheeks:
Eyes will brighten and blushes will burn
When the one true lover bends and speaks。
But she's only a child now; as you see;
Only a child in her careless grace:
When Love and Womanhood come this way
Will anything sadden the flower…like face?
Louise Chandler Moulton '1835…1908'
EMILIA
Halfway up the Hemlock valley turnpike;
In the bend of Silver Water's arm;
Where the deer come trooping down at even;
Drink the cowslip pool; and fear no harm;
Dwells Emilia;
Flower of the fields of Camlet Farm。
Sitting sewing by the western window
As the too brief mountain sunshine flies;
Hast thou seen a slender…shouldered figure
With a chestnut braid; Minerva…wise;
Round her temples;
Shadowing her gray; enchanted eyes?
When the freshets flood the Silver Water;
When the swallow flying northward braves
Sleeting rains that sweep the birchen foothills
Where the windflowers' pale plantation waves …
(Fairy gardens
Springing from the dead leaves in their graves); …
Falls forgotten; then; Emilia's needle;
Ancient ballads; fleeting through her brain;
Sing the cuckoo and the English primrose;
Outdoors calling with a quaint refrain;
And a rainbow
Seems to brighten through the gusty rain。
Forth she goes; in some old dress and faded;
Fearless of the showery shifting wind;
Kilted are her skirts to clear the mosses;
And her bright braids in a 'kerchief pinned;
Younger sister
Of the damsel…errant Rosalind。
While she helps to serve the harvest supper
In the lantern…lighted village hall;
Moonlight rises on the burning woodland;
Echoes dwindle from the distant Fall。
Hark; Emilia!
In her ear the airy voices call。
Hidden papers in the dusty garret;
Where her few and secret poems lie; …
Thither flies her heart to join her treasure;
While she serves; with absent…musing eye;
Mighty tankards
Foaming cider in the glasses high。
〃Would she mingle with her young companions!〃
Vainly do her aunts and uncles say;
Ever; from the village sports and dances;
Early missed; Emilia slips away。
Whither vanished?
With what unimagined mates to play?
Did they seek her; wandering by the wat