Thou know'st her grace in moving, Thou dost her skill in loving,
Thou know'st what truth she proveth, Thou knowest the heart she moveth, O song where grief assoneth !
Thou know'st what truth she proveth, Thou knowest the heart she moveth, O song where grief assoneth !
Ezra-Pound-Provenca-English
This form is not Provengal, but that of Dante's "
matchless Voi che intendendo z/ terzo ciel movete. " IL
Italian.
SONNET: CHI E QUESTA?
WHOis she coming, that the roses bend
Their shameless heads to do her honour ?
passing
Who is she coming with a light upon her
Not born of suns that with the day's end end ?
Say, is it Love who hath chosen the nobler part? Say, is it Love, that was divinity,
Who hath left his godhead that his home might be The shameless rose of her unclouded heart?
If this be Love, where hath he won such grace? If this be Love, how is the evil wrought,
That all men write against his darkened name?
75
? Sonnet: If this be Love, if this
O mind give place !
What holy mystery e'er was noosed in thought? Own that thou scan'st her not, nor count it shame !
OF GRACE
(BALLATA, FRAGMENT) ii
FPULL well thou knowest, song, what grace I mean,
E'en as thou know'st the sunlight I have lost.
Thou knowest the way of it and know'st the sheen About her brows where the rays are bound and
crossed,
E'en as thou knowest joy and know'st joy's bitter
cost.
Thou know'st her grace in moving, Thou dost her skill in loving,
Thou know'st what truth she proveth, Thou knowest the heart she moveth, O song where grief assoneth !
CANZON: THE VISION
The form is that of Arnault Daniel's "Sols suique sailo sobra- fan quern sortz. "
WHENfirst I saw thee 'neath the silver mist,
Ruling thy bark of painted sandal-wood, Didanyknowthee? 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?
matchless Voi che intendendo z/ terzo ciel movete. " IL
Italian.
SONNET: CHI E QUESTA?
WHOis she coming, that the roses bend
Their shameless heads to do her honour ?
passing
Who is she coming with a light upon her
Not born of suns that with the day's end end ?
Say, is it Love who hath chosen the nobler part? Say, is it Love, that was divinity,
Who hath left his godhead that his home might be The shameless rose of her unclouded heart?
If this be Love, where hath he won such grace? If this be Love, how is the evil wrought,
That all men write against his darkened name?
75
? Sonnet: If this be Love, if this
O mind give place !
What holy mystery e'er was noosed in thought? Own that thou scan'st her not, nor count it shame !
OF GRACE
(BALLATA, FRAGMENT) ii
FPULL well thou knowest, song, what grace I mean,
E'en as thou know'st the sunlight I have lost.
Thou knowest the way of it and know'st the sheen About her brows where the rays are bound and
crossed,
E'en as thou knowest joy and know'st joy's bitter
cost.
Thou know'st her grace in moving, Thou dost her skill in loving,
Thou know'st what truth she proveth, Thou knowest the heart she moveth, O song where grief assoneth !
CANZON: THE VISION
The form is that of Arnault Daniel's "Sols suique sailo sobra- fan quern sortz. "
WHENfirst I saw thee 'neath the silver mist,
Ruling thy bark of painted sandal-wood, Didanyknowthee? 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?
