I.
When first I saw thee ’neath the silver mist,
Ruling thy bark of painted sandal-wood,
Did any know thee? By the golden sails
That clasped the ribbands of that azure sea,
Did any know thee save my heart alone?
O ivory woman with thy bands of gold,
Answer the song my luth and I have brought thee!
II.
Dream over golden dream that secret cist,
Thy heart, O heart of me, doth hold, and mood
On mood of silver, when the day’s light fails,
Say who hath touched the secret heart of thee,
Or who hath known what my heart hath not known
O slender pilot whom the mists enfold,
Answer the song my luth and I have wrought thee!
III.
When new love plucks the falcon from his wrist,
And cuts the gyve and casts the scarlet hood,
Where is the heron heart whom flight avails?
O quick to prize me Love, how suddenly
From out the tumult truth has ta’en his own,
And in this vision is our past unrolled.
Lo! With a hawk of light thy love hath caught me.
IV.
And I shall get no peace from eucharist,
Nor doling out strange prayers before the rood,
To match the peace that thine hands’ touch entails;
Nor doth God’s light match light shed over me
When thy caught sunlight is about me thrown,
Oh, for the very ruth thine eyes have told,
Answer the rune this love of thee hath taught me.
V.
After an age of longing had we missed
Our meeting and the dream, what were the good
Of weaving cloth of words? Were jewelled tales
An opiate meet to quell the malady
Of life unlived? In untried monotone
Were not the earth as vain, and dry, and old,
For thee, O Perfect Light, had I not sought thee?
VI.
Calais, in song where word and tone keep tryst
Behold my heart, and hear mine hardihood!
Calais, the wind is come and heaven pales
And trembles for the love of day to be.
Calais, the words break and the dawn is shown.
Ah, but the stars set when thou wast first bold,
Turn! lest they say a lesser light distraught thee.
VII.
O ivory thou, the golden scythe hath mown
Night’s stubble and my joy. Thou royal souled,
Favour the quest! Lo, Truth and I have sought thee