第72章 Sonnet XLI-XV

I thank all who have loved me in their hearts, With thanks and love from mine. Deep thanks to all Who paused a little near the prison-wall To hear my music in its louder parts Ere they went onward, each one to the marts Or temples occupation, beyond call. But thou, who, in my voices sink and fall

When the sob took it, thy divinest Arts Own instrument didst drop down at thy foot To hearken what I said between my tears, . . . Instruct me how to thank thee ! Oh, to shoot My souls full meaning into future years, That they should lend it utterance, and salute Love that endures, from Life that disappears !

I thank all who have loved me in their hearts, With thanks and love from mine. Deep thanks to all Who paused a little near the prison-wall To hear my music in its louder parts Ere they went onward, each one to the marts Or temples occupation, beyond call. But thou, who, in my voices sink and fall

When the sob took it, thy divinest Arts Own instrument didst drop down at thy foot To hearken what I said between my tears,... Instruct me how to thank thee! Oh, to shoot My souls full meaning into future years, That they should lend it utterance, and salute Love that endures, from Life that disappears!

My future will not copy fair my past-- I wrote that once; and thinking at my side My ministering life-angel justified The word by his appealing look upcast To the white throne of God, I turned at last, And there, instead, saw thee, not unallied To angels in thy soul ! Then I, long tried

By natural ills, received the comfort fast, While budding, at thy sight, my pilgrims staff Gave out green leaves with morning dews impearled. I seek no copy now of lifes first half: Leave here the pages with long musing curled, And write me new my futures epigraph, New angel mine, unhoped for in the world !

My future will not copy fair my past - I wrote that once; and thinking at my side My ministering life-angel justified The word by his appealing look upcast To the white throne of God, I turned at last, And there, instead, saw thee, not unallied To angels in thy soul! Then I, long tried

By natural ills, received the comfort fast, While budding, at thy sight, my pilgrims staff Gave out green leaves with morning dews impearled. I seek no copy now of lifes first half: Leave here the pages with long musing curled, And write me new my futures epigraph, New angel mine, unhoped for in the world!

How do I love thee ? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of Being and ideal Grace. I love thee to the level of everydays Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhoods faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints,--I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life !--and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace. I love thee to the level of every days Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light. I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhoods faith. I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death. Beloved, thou hast brought me many flowers Plucked in the garden, all the summer through And winter, and it seemed as if they grew In this close room, nor missed the sun and showers. So, in the like name of that love of ours, Take back these thoughts which here unfolded too, And which on warm and cold days I withdrew From my hearts ground. Indeed, those beds and bowers Be overgrown with bitter weeds and rue, And wait thy weeding; yet heres eglantine, Here s ivy !--take them, as I used to do Thy fowers, and keep them where they shall not pine. Instruct thine eyes to keep their colors true, And tell thy soul their roots are left in mine. Beloved, thou hast brought me many flowers Plucked in the garden, all the summer through And winter, and it seemed as if they grew In this close room, nor missed the sun and showers. So, in the like name of that love of ours, Take back these thoughts which here unfolded too, And which on warm and cold days I withdrew From my hearts ground. Indeed, those bed and bowers Be overgrown with bitter weeds and rue, And wait thy weeding; yet heres eglantine, Heres ivy!--take them, as I used to do Thy flowers, and keep them where they shall not pine. Instruct thine eyes to keep their colours true, And tell thy soul, their roots are left in mine. Accuse me not, beseech thee, that I wear Too calm and sad a face in front of thine; For we two look two ways, and cannot shine With the same sunlight on our brow and hair. On me thou lookest with no doubting care, As on a bee shut in a crystalline; Since sorrow hath shut me safe in loves divine, And to spread wing and fly in the outer air Were most impossible failure, if I strove To fail so. But I look on thee--on thee-- Beholding, besides love, the end of love, Hearing oblivion beyond memory; As one who sits and gazes from above, Over the rivers to the bitter sea. Accuse me not, beseech thee, that I wear Too calm and sad a face in front of thine; For we two look two ways, and cannot shine With the same sunlight on our brow and hair. On me thou lookest with no doubting care, As on a bee in a crystalline; Since sorrow hath shut me safe in loves divine And to spread wing and fly in the outer air Were most impossible failure, if I strove To fail so. But I look on thee--on thee-- Beholding, besides love, the end of love, Hearing oblivion beyond memory; As one who sits and gazes from above, Over the rivers to the bitter sea.