Atalanta in Calydon Part 2

ALTHAEA.

Yea, but a curse she hath sent above all these To hurt us where she healed us; and hath lit Fire where the old fire went out, and where the wind Slackened, hath blown on us with deadlier air.

CHORUS.

What storm is this that tightens all our sail?

ALTHAEA.

Love, a thwart sea-wind full of rain and foam.

CHORUS.

Whence blown, and born under what stormier star?

ALTHAEA.

Southward across Euenus from the sea.

CHORUS.

Thy speech turns toward Arcadia like blown wind.

ALTHAEA.

Sharp as the north sets when the snows are out.

CHORUS.

Nay, for this maiden hath no touch of love.

ALTHAEA.

I would she had sought in some cold gulf of sea Love, or in dens where strange beasts lurk, or fire, Or snows on the extreme hills, or iron land Where no spring is; I would she had sought therein And found, or ever love had found her here.

CHORUS.

She is holier than all holy days or things, The sprinkled water or fume of perfect fire; Chaste, dedicated to pure prayers, and filled With higher thoughts than heaven; a maiden clean, Pure iron, fashioned for a sword, and man She loves not; what should one such do with love?

ALTHAEA.

Look you, I speak not as one light of wit, But as a queen speaks, being heart-vexed; for oft I hear my brothers wrangling in mid hall, And am not moved; and my son chiding them, And these things nowise move me, but I know Foolish and wise men must be to the end, And feed myself with patience; but this most, This moves me, that for wise men as for fools Love is one thing, an evil thing, and turns Choice words and wisdom into fire and air.

And in the end shall no joy come, but grief, Sharp words and soul's division and fresh tears Flower-wise upon the old root of tears brought forth, Fruit-wise upon the old flower of tears sprung up, Pitiful sighs, and much regrafted pain.

These things are in my presage, and myself Am part of them and know not; but in dreams The G.o.ds are heavy on me, and all the fates Shed fire across my eyelids mixed with night, And burn me blind, and disilluminate My sense of seeing, and my perspicuous soul Darken with vision; seeing I see not, hear And hearing am not holpen, but mine eyes Stain many tender broideries in the bed Drawn up about my face that I may weep And the king wake not; and my brows and lips Tremble and sob in sleeping, like swift flames That tremble, or water when it sobs with heat Kindled from under; and my tears fill my breast And speck the fair dyed pillows round the king With barren showers and salter than the sea, Such dreams divide me dreaming; for long since I dreamed that out of this my womb had sprung Fire and a firebrand; this was ere my son, Meleager, a goodly flower in fields of fight, Felt the light touch him coming forth, and waited Childlike; but yet he was not; and in time I bare him, and my heart was great; for yet So royally was never strong man born, Nor queen so n.o.bly bore as n.o.ble a thing As this my son was: such a birth G.o.d sent And such a grace to bear it. Then came in Three weaving women, and span each a thread, Saying This for strength and That for luck, and one Saying Till the brand upon the hearth burn down, So long shall this man see good days and live.

And I with gathered raiment from the bed Sprang, and drew forth the brand, and cast on it Water, and trod the flame bare-foot, and crushed With naked hand spark beaten out of spark And blew against and quenched it; for I said, These are the most high Fates that dwell with us, And we find favour a little in their sight, A little, and more we miss of, and much time Foils us; howbeit they have pitied me, O son, And thee most piteous, thee a tenderer thing Than any flower of fleshly seed alive.

Wherefore I kissed and hid him with my hands, And covered under arms and hair, and wept, And feared to touch him with my tears, and laughed; So light a thing was this man, grown so great Men cast their heads back, seeing against the sun Blaze the armed man carven on his shield, and hear The laughter of little bells along the brace Ring, as birds singing or flutes blown, and watch, High up, the cloven shadow of either plume Divide the bright light of the bra.s.s, and make His helmet as a windy and wintering moon Seen through blown cloud and plume-like drift, when ships Drive, and men strive with all the sea, and oars Break, and the beaks dip under, drinking death; Yet was he then but a span long, and moaned With inarticulate mouth inseparate words, And with blind lips and fingers wrung my breast Hard, and thrust out with foolish hands and feet, Murmuring; but those grey women with bound hair Who fright the G.o.ds frighted not him; he laughed Seeing them, and pushed out hands to feel and haul Distaff and thread, intangible; but they Pa.s.sed, and I hid the brand, and in my heart Laughed likewise, having all my will of heaven.

But now I know not if to left or right The G.o.ds have drawn us. .h.i.ther; for again I dreamt, and saw the black brand burst on fire As a branch bursts in flower, and saw the flame Fade flower-wise, and Death came and with dry lips Blew the charred ash into my breast; and Love Trampled the ember and crushed it with swift feet This I have also at heart; that not for me, Not for me only or son of mine, O girls, The G.o.ds have wrought life, and desire of life, Heart's love and heart's division; but for all There shines one sun and one wind blows till night.

And when night comes the wind sinks and the sun, And there is no light after, and no storm, But sleep and much forgetfulness of things.

In such wise I gat knowledge of the G.o.ds Years hence, and heard high sayings of one most wise, Eurythemis my mother, who beheld With eyes alive and spake with lips of these As one on earth disfleshed and disallied From breath or blood corruptible; such gifts Time gave her, and an equal soul to these And equal face to all things, thus she said.

But whatsoever intolerable or glad The swift hours weave and unweave, I go hence Full of mine own soul, perfect of myself, Toward mine and me sufficient; and what chance The G.o.ds cast lots for and shake out on us, That shall we take, and that much bear withal.

And now, before these gather to the hunt, I will go arm my son and bring him forth, Lest love or some man's anger work him harm.

CHORUS.

Before the beginning of years There came to the making of man Time, with a gift of tears, Grief, with a gla.s.s that ran; Pleasure, with pain for leaven; Summer, with flowers that fell; Remembrance fallen from heaven, And madness risen from h.e.l.l; Strength without hands to smite, Love that endures for a breath, Night, the shadow of light, And life, the shadow of death.

And the high G.o.ds took in hand Fire, and the falling of tears, And a measure of sliding sand From under the feet of the years, And froth and drift of the sea; And dust of the labouring earth; And bodies of things to be In the houses of death and of birth; And wrought with weeping and laughter, And fashioned with loathing and love, With life before and after And death beneath and above, For a day and a night and a morrow, That his strength might endure for a span With travail and heavy sorrow, The holy spirit of man.

From the winds of the north and the south They gathered as unto strife; They breathed upon his mouth, They filled his body with life; Eyesight and speech they wrought For the veils of the soul therein, A time for labour and thought, A time to serve and to sin; They gave him light in his ways, And love, and a s.p.a.ce for delight, And beauty and length of days, And night, and sleep in the night.

His speech is a burning fire; With his lips he travaileth, In his heart is a blind desire, In his eyes foreknowledge of death; He weaves, and is clothed with derision; Sows, and he shall not reap, His life is a watch or a vision Between a sleep and a sleep.

MELEAGER.

O sweet new heaven and air without a star, Fair day, be fair and welcome, as to men With deeds to do and praise to pluck from thee, Come forth a child, born with clear sound and light, With laughter and swift limbs and prosperous looks; That this great hunt with heroes for the hounds May leave thee memorable and us well sped.

ALTHAEA.

Son, first I praise thy prayer, then bid thee speed; But the G.o.ds hear men's hands before their lips, And heed beyond all crying and sacrifice Light of things done and noise of labouring men.

But thou, being armed and perfect for the deed, Abide; for like rain-flakes in a wind they grow, The men thy fellows, and the choice of the world, Bound to root out the tusked plague, and leave Thanks and safe days and peace in Calydon.

MELEAGER.

For the whole city and all the low-lying land Flames, and the soft air sounds with them that come; The G.o.ds give all these fruit of all their works.

ALTHAEA.

Set thine eye thither and fix thy spirit and say Whom there thou knowest; for sharp mixed shadow and wind Blown up between the morning and the mist, With steam of steeds and flash of bridle or wheel, And fire, and parcels of the broken dawn, And dust divided by hard light, and spears That shine and shift as the edge of wild beasts' eyes, Smite upon mine; so fiery their blind edge Burns, and bright points break up and baffle day.

MELEAGER.

The first, for many I know not, being far off, Peleus the Larissaean, couched with whom Sleeps the white sea-bred wife and silver-shod, Fair as fled foam, a G.o.ddess; and their son Most swift and splendid of men's children born, Most like a G.o.d, full of the future fame.