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And yet the tears she wept were tears of sorrow；
Answering thus； just as the golden morrow
Beam'd upward from the vallies of the east：
〃O that the flutter of this heart had ceas'd；
Or the sweet name of love had pass'd away。
Young feather'd tyrant！ by a swift decay
Wilt thou devote this body to the earth：
And I do think that at my very birth
I lisp'd thy blooming titles inwardly；
For at the first； first dawn and thought of thee；
With uplift hands I blest the stars of heaven。
Art thou not cruel？ Ever have I striven
To think thee kind； but ah； it will not do！
When yet a child； I heard that kisses drew
Favour from thee； and so I kisses gave
To the void air； bidding them find out love：
But when I came to feel how far above
All fancy； pride； and fickle maidenhood；
All earthly pleasure； all imagin'd good；
Was the warm tremble of a devout kiss；…
Even then； that moment； at the thought of this；
Fainting I fell into a bed of flowers；
And languish'd there three days。 Ye milder powers；
Am I not cruelly wrong'd？ Believe； believe
Me； dear Endymion； were I to weave
With my own fancies garlands of sweet life；
Thou shouldst be one of all。 Ah； bitter strife！
I may not be thy love： I am forbidden…
Indeed I am… thwarted； affrighted； chidden；
By things I trembled at； and gorgon wrath。
Twice hast thou ask'd whither I went： henceforth
Ask me no more！ I may not utter it；
Nor may I be thy love。 We might commit
Ourselves at once to vengeance； we might die；
We might embrace and die： voluptuous thought！
Enlarge not to my hunger； or I'm caught
In trammels of perverse deliciousness。
No； no； that shall not be： thee will I bless；
And bid a long adieu。〃
The Carian
No word return'd： both lovelorn； silent； wan；
Into the vallies green together went。
Far wandering； they were perforce content
To sit beneath a fair lone beechen tree；
Nor at each other gaz'd； but heavily
Por'd on its hazle cirque of shedded leaves。
Endymion！ unhappy！ it nigh grieves
Me to behold thee thus in last extreme：
Ensky'd ere this； but truly that I deem
Truth the best music in a first…born song。
Thy lute…voic'd brother will I sing ere long；
And thou shalt aid… hast thou not aided me？
Yes； moonlight Emperor！ felicity
Has been thy meed for many thousand years；
Yet often have I； on the brink of tears；
Mourn'd as if yet thou wert a forester；…
Forgetting the old tale。
He did not stir
His eyes from the dead leaves； or one small pulse
Of joy he might have felt。 The spirit culls
Unfaded amaranth； when wild it strays
Through the old garden…ground of boyish days。
A little onward ran the very stream
By which he took his first soft poppy dream；
And on the very bark 'gainst which he leant
A crescent he had carv'd； and round it spent
His skill in little stars。 The teeming tree
Had swollen and green'd the pious charactery；
But not ta'en out。 Why； there was not a slope
Up which he had not fear'd the antelope；
And not a tree； beneath whose rooty shade
He had not with his tamed leopards play'd：
Nor could an arrow light； or javelin；
Fly in the air where his had never been…
And yet he knew it not。
O treachery！
Why does his lady smile； pleasing her eye
With all his sorrowing？ He sees her not。
But who so stares on him？ His sister sure！
Peona of the woods！… Can she endure…
Impossible… how dearly they embrace！
His lady smiles； delight is in her face；
It is no treachery。
〃Dear brother mine！
Endymion； weep not so！ Why shouldst thou pine
When all great Latmos so exalt will be？
Thank the great gods； and look not bitterly；
And speak not one pale word； and sigh no more。
Sure I will not believe thou hast such store
Of grief； to last thee to my kiss again。
Thou surely canst not bear a mind in pain；
Come hand in hand with one so beautiful。
Be happy both of you！ for I will pull
The flowers of autumn for your coronals。
Pan's holy priest for young Endymion calls；
And when he is restor'd； thou； fairest dame；
Shalt be our queen。 Now； is it not a shame
To see ye thus；… not very； very sad？
Perhaps ye are too happy to be glad：
O feel as if it were a common day；
Free…voic'd as one who never was away。
No tongue shall ask； whence come ye？ but ye shall
Be gods of your own rest imperial。
Not even I； for one whole month； will pry
Into the hours that have pass'd us by；
Since in my arbour I did sing to thee。
O Hermes！ on this very night will be
A hymning up to Cynthia； queen of light；
For the soothsayers old saw yesternight
Good visions in the air；… whence will befal；
As say these sages； health perpetual
To shepherds and their flocks； and furthermore；
In Dian's face they read the gentle lore：
Therefore for her these vesper…carols are。
Our friends will all be there from nigh and far。
Many upon thy death have ditties made；
And many； even now； their foreheads shade
With cypress； on a day of sacrifice。
New singing for our maids shalt thou devise；
And pluck the sorrow from our huntsmen's brows。
Tell me； my lady…queen； how to espouse
This wayward brother to his rightful joys！
His eyes are on thee bent； as thou didst poize
His fate most goddess…like。 Help me； I pray；
To lure… Endymion； dear brother； say
What ails thee？〃 He could bear no more； and so
Bent his soul fiercely like a spiritual bow；
And twang'd it inwardly； and calmly said：
〃I would have thee my only friend； sweet maid！
My only visitor！ not ignorant though；
That those deceptions which for pleasure go
'Mong men； are pleasures real as real may be：
But there are higher ones I may not see；
If impiously an earthly realm I take。
Since I saw thee； I have been wide awake
Night after night； and day by day； until
Of the empyrean I have drunk my fill。
Let it content thee； Sister； seeing me
More happy than betides mortality。
A hermit young； I'll live in mossy cave；
Where thou alone shalt come to me； and lave