Calais, the wind is come and heaven pales And
trembles
for the love of day to be.
Ezra-Pound-Provenca-English
Bythegoldensails
76
? 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 !
n
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 !
m
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 hath 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;
77
? Canzon : Nor doth God's light match light shed over me The rltfflftwjgga 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.
After an age of longing had we missed
Our meeting and the dream, what were the good Ofweavingclothofwords? Werejeweledtales An opiate meet to quell the malady Oflifeunlived? Inuntriedmonotone
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.
VTI
O ivory thou, the golden scythe hath mown Night'sstubbleandmyjoy. Ah,royalsouled, Favour the quest ! Lo, Truth and I have sought
thee !
78
? TO OUR LADY OF VICARIOUS ATONEMENT (BALLATA)
i
WHOare you that the whole world's song
Is shaken out beneath feet your
Leaving you comfortless, Who, that, as wheat
Is garnered, gather in The blades of man's sin And bear that sheaf?
Lady of wrong and grief, Blameless !
All souls beneath the gloom That pass with little flames, All these till time be run Pass one by one
As Christs to save, and die ;
What wrong one sowed, Behold, another reaps! Where lips awake our joy The sad heart sleeps Within.
No man doth bear his sin,
But many sins
Are gathered as a cloud about man's way.
79
? EPILOGUE
TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI
and I are come to learn of thee,
DANOTE
crossed
O who hast thou,
thee,
sung
+; U none at defeat song
essire master of us
M
Love, who hath set his hand upon us three,
Bidding us twain upon thy glory call.
Harsh light hath rent from us the golden pall
Of that frail sleep, His first light seigniory,
And we are come through all the modes that fall Unto their lot who meet him constantly.
76
? 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 !
n
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 !
m
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 hath 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;
77
? Canzon : Nor doth God's light match light shed over me The rltfflftwjgga 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.
After an age of longing had we missed
Our meeting and the dream, what were the good Ofweavingclothofwords? Werejeweledtales An opiate meet to quell the malady Oflifeunlived? Inuntriedmonotone
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.
VTI
O ivory thou, the golden scythe hath mown Night'sstubbleandmyjoy. Ah,royalsouled, Favour the quest ! Lo, Truth and I have sought
thee !
78
? TO OUR LADY OF VICARIOUS ATONEMENT (BALLATA)
i
WHOare you that the whole world's song
Is shaken out beneath feet your
Leaving you comfortless, Who, that, as wheat
Is garnered, gather in The blades of man's sin And bear that sheaf?
Lady of wrong and grief, Blameless !
All souls beneath the gloom That pass with little flames, All these till time be run Pass one by one
As Christs to save, and die ;
What wrong one sowed, Behold, another reaps! Where lips awake our joy The sad heart sleeps Within.
No man doth bear his sin,
But many sins
Are gathered as a cloud about man's way.
79
? EPILOGUE
TO GUIDO CAVALCANTI
and I are come to learn of thee,
DANOTE
crossed
O who hast thou,
thee,
sung
+; U none at defeat song
essire master of us
M
Love, who hath set his hand upon us three,
Bidding us twain upon thy glory call.
Harsh light hath rent from us the golden pall
Of that frail sleep, His first light seigniory,
And we are come through all the modes that fall Unto their lot who meet him constantly.
