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1901 · PDF PAGE 121

The Mother’s Tragedy

( 107) EPILOGUE A DEATH IN THESSALY Movos Oewv yap Odvatos ov Swpuwv epg. —ALSCH., Fr. Niobe. AREWELL! O Light of Day, O torch of Althzean! ‘The strange fruits lure me of Persephone; I raise the last, the memorable pzean, Storm-throated, mouthed as the cave-rolling sea; I lift the cup: deep draughts of blue Lethean! My wine to me. O lamentable season of Apollo, When swoops his glory to the golden wave! As all his children, so their lord shall follow ; The flower he slew, the maiden he would save, As Itylus, light woven, tuned! Oh swallow, Bewai…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 54

The Mother’s Tragedy

40 THE FATAL FORCE And comets moving through the deep Unfathomable skies, Darker for moonlight, and the glowworm eyes Of dusky women that were stars, And paler curves of the immutable bars That line the universe with light, Great eagle-flights of mystic moons That dip, while the dull midnight swoons About the skirts of Night: These bowed and shaped themselves and said : “It shall be thus!” And the intolerable luminous Death that is god bent down his head And answered: “ Thus, immutably, Above all days and deeds, shall be!” And the great Light t…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 55

The Mother’s Tragedy

THE FATAL FORCE 41 A holy habitation for the shrine Solitary, ’mid the night of broken brine That foamed like starlight round the desolate shore. So to the mine of that crystalline ore Golden, the electric spark of man is drawn Deep in the bosom of the world, to soar New-fledged, an eagle to the dazzling dawn With lidless eyes undazzled, to arise, Son of the morning, to the Southern skies; And fling its wild chant higher at the fall Of even, and of bright Hyperion; To mix its fire with dew, to call The spirit of the limitless air, made one In t…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 74

The Mother’s Tragedy

…length East and west, the depth and height, North and south, with music tingle, Ring with battled clarion choirs of the far-resound- ing light! Let the might Of Osirian sacrifice Dwell upon the self-slain king! Consecrate him, consecrate him, consecrate, ye holy ones, The imperial mind Thrice, and thrice the higher soul, Thrice the spirit, till the sun’s Utter glory burn upon him, till the freed Osiris find He is god above mankind, Thrice united unto man, As the living gold that ran Molten to the fiery sea, Mixed in its eternity. Spirit of the …

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1901 · PDF PAGE 13

The Mother’s Tragedy

PROLOGUE x1 The scarlet vesture and the crimson skin! As Aphrodite clove, The foam, incarnate Love, Maiden, as light leaps the dawn-gardens in, So in the Love and Light, Life slain, yet infinite, The God-Man’s night, Leaps pure the Soul rearisen from the embrace of Sin. | Yet, in the terror of that Breast, abides So sweet and deadly a device, a lure Deep in the blood and poison of her sides, Swart, lean, and leprous, that her stings endure. Even the soul of grace Abideth not her face Without vague longing, infinite desire, Stronger because supp…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 118

The Mother’s Tragedy

( 104) NEPHTHYS ‘‘ There is no light, nor wisdom, nor knowledge in the grave, whither thou goest.”—-SOLOMON. FOOLISH and a cruel thing is said By the Most High that mocks man’s empty breast, As if the grave were mere eternal rest, Or merest resurrection of the dead. All petty wishes: at the fountain-head, A dead girl’s whisper—I have stooped and pressed My ear unto her heart—her soul confessed That none of life her joy relinquishéd. ““T died the moment when you tore away The bleeding veil of my virginity. The pain was sudden—and the joy was lon…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 14

The Mother’s Tragedy

…st my vain head on thine Eternal Breast! Spread wide the wings divine Over this shadowy shrine, Where in my heart their hovering lendeth Light! Bend down the amazing Face Of sorrow and of grace, Share the deep vigil of thine eremite! So let the sighing breath Draw on the Hour of Death, Whence wakeneth The Spirit of the Dawn, begotten of the night.

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1901 · PDF PAGE 115

The Mother’s Tragedy

… madly Into the morning strong and keen as wine. The gold air whistles and the glad horse thunders, Spurning the quiet woodland: now the light Stirs bird and beast—a thousand glowing wonders Flash into glory, lambent to the sight. I know, I feel the Godhead set above me, My own high part in His celestial sphere; In life, in death, the universe cries—love me !— God in my heart, and all the world is dear!

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1901 · PDF PAGE 64

The Mother’s Tragedy

…gs of the charioted night ; The song of the sons of the seas profound ; The thunder of death; the might Of the eloquent silence of black light ! RATOUM. The noise of many planets fallen far! CHORUS. Death listens for the voice of life; night waits The dawn of wisdom: winter seeks the spring! RATOUM. The music of all stars arisen; the breath Of God upon the valley of the dead!

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1901 · PDF PAGE 112

The Mother’s Tragedy

…urge Horrible visions of decaying Time. For in the fiery dusk arise distorted Grey shapes in moonless phosphorus glow of death; The keen light of the eyes thrust back and thwarted, The quick scent stabbed by the miasma breath. The day is over, when the lizard darted, A flash of green, the emerald outclassed; Night is collapsed upon the vale: departed All but the Close, suggestive of the Vast. The heavy tropic scent-inspiring gloom Clothes the wide air, the circumambient ether.

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1901 · PDF PAGE 53

The Mother’s Tragedy

…ps triumphantly home From the bed of the violate day, In the furious waves of the sea, wild world of tem- pestuous night, Our song is as light! In the tumult of manifold fire, Multitudinous mutable feet That dance to an infinite lyre On the heart of the world as they beat, In the flowers of the bride of the flame, in the warrior Lord of the Fire, There burns our desire! AMENHATEP. Cry now, bewail the broken house, bewail The ruin of the land; cry out on Fate! CHORUS. Slow wheels of unbegotten hate And changeless circles of desire, Formless crea…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 87

The Mother’s Tragedy

…he time of treasons ! Another spirit waves its pinions. Love vanishes : we hate each other's sight. In sullen seas sinks our sun-flaming light, Darkness is master of the dream-dominions. Lo! in thy womb a child! How rotten Seems love to me who love it as my soul! The love of thee hath broken its control, The misconceived become the misbegotten. In thee the love of me is broken. Fear, hatred, pain, discomfort mock thy days; Thou canst disdain; these solitary bays Twine with decaying myrtles for a token.

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1901 · PDF PAGE 73

The Mother’s Tragedy

THE FATAL FORCE 59 At the fountain-heads of light; Fanned to whirling fiery flight, As the spark of life is dwindled In the sacramental span, In the star that flashes white In the body of a man; By the swart Osirian power, If, when strikes the holy hour Of the holy sacrifice, Angels swoon from starry homes Full of inexpressive eyes, That the blood that swells and foams Lighten with the fervid air, To create from death’s despair Masteries of music, domes Gilded with the splendid essence of the highest hope of man; If the sombre stream that ran F…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 57

The Mother’s Tragedy

…d worship, seeing justice as a spouse Lean on thine iron hand. For Murder walks by night, and hides her face, But righteous Wrath in the light, and knows his place; For hate of a mother is ill, and the lightning flashes, But foil a harlot’s will, burn the earth to ashes, Cleanse the incestuous sty of a whore’s desire, Scatter the dung to the sky, and burn her with fire! So the avenging master shall cleanse his fate of shame, Set his seal of disaster, a royal seal to his name. [Exeunt. PACHAD. I am not Horus, but I shall be king. Enter LEPER. TH…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 91

The Mother’s Tragedy

MADONNA OF THE GOLDEN EYES 77 ‘‘Come with me,” you whispered, ‘‘come, and let the moon Lend her light to madden us through the hours of pleasure; Let the dayspring pass and brighten into noon! Yet no limit find our love, nor passion find a measure !” O Madonna of the Golden Eyes! Dawn brought reason back, and the violet eyes are sadder, O they were golden once, and I call them golden still! Dawn has brought remorse, the sting of a foul swamp- adder— I hate you! beast of Hell! I have snapped Love’s manacle! O Murderess of the hateful eyes! O and…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 10

The Mother’s Tragedy

…m and endure Whose little period Is limited by God ; Whose poor abode Is the mean body, prey to all distemperature ? Yet, mortal, in the Light and Way Divine, Gird on the armour of the Holy One: Seek out the secret of the inmost shrine, Strong in the might and spirit of the sun. Arise, arise, arise, Give passage to mine eyes, Ye airs, ye veils; ye bucklers of the Snake! I knew the deepest cells, Where the foul spirit dwells; Called to the dead, the drowsed, arise ! awake! Their dark profoundest thought Was less than She I sought, It was as noug…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 20

The Mother’s Tragedy

… bolder twenty years ago! Time, Time, thou maker and destroyer both, Only in resurrection hast no part! | Broods. SPIRIT OF TRAGEDY. How light and how agreeable, Paved pathway to the gate of hell! See how all virtues, graces, shine, Till woman half appears divine! But I am waiting, watching still The treason of the powers of ill. Soft, moveless, as a tigress glides, Strange laughing devilry abides Its hour to poison. How they gloat, The fiends, upon her lips and throat! They touch her heart, they speer her eyes, They linger on the lovely prize!…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 67

The Mother’s Tragedy

… Fast to their mute abyss. The pale sweet blooms of lotos burn ; The scent of spring is in the soul; Men’s spirits to the loftiest turn; Light is extended and made whole. The waters of the whispering Nile Lisp of their loves a little while, Then break, like songsters, into sighing, Because the lazy days are dying; And swift and tawny streams must rise World’s world to fertilise. The lotos is afire for love, Its yearnings are immortal still ; But in its bosom, fed thereof, Lust, like a child, will have his will. Immortal fervour, strangely blent…

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1901 · PDF PAGE 123

The Mother’s Tragedy

… I went Over the mountains — how the Northwind blustered !— And slew with them the beast, and was content. The madness. Oh! the dreadful light that lustred The main event. Ay! the wild whirlings in the woodland reaches; The ghastly smile upon the Stone God’s lip; The rigid tremors, anguish that beseeches From eye to eye fresh fervours of the whip ; The mounded moss below the swaying beeches— Kiss me and clip! Why! the old madness grows !—how feebly lying Smooth by this bay where waves are tender flowers. Winds, soft as the old kisses were, are …

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1901 · PDF PAGE 39

The Mother’s Tragedy

…set by the unfaltering hands Of Fate. How desperate the anarchy Wrought in one hour! The fickle sands Run through the glass, and all the light is gone. Abysses without name the mighty power Spans with spread fingers; on the horizon Blood stains the setting sun, The shattered sun; it shall not rise again ! No resurrection to the trampled flower, No hope to angels watching as in vain Love—lies—slain ! Madness and Terror and the deadly mood of Fortitude, A misbegotten brood Of all things shameful—O the desolate eyes Of the cold Christ enthroned! T…

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