Angelica
1.
Now that heaven nods its favour,
Shall I stand, a mute confounded:
I who, knowing sorrow's savour,
Sang my woes till they resounded? —
Till a thousand youths despairing
Echoed after: told their passion
In the songs of my preparing,
Served anew in feebler fashion.
Nightingales, whose chorussed voices
In my soul I carry ringing,
Up and tell how love rejoices!
Tune your throats for raptured singing!
2.
One backward glance you always threw me,
However quick you passed me by, —
Your mouth, as if for question, open,
And pride tempestuous in your eye.
Would I had never sought to stay it:
That gown of white that went so fleet!
Would I might lose the track for ever,
Left lovely by your little feet!
Vanished at last is all your wildness;
Tame, like the rest, you meekly bow,
Serene, and kind beyond enduring;
And ah! you even love me now!
3.
Pretty maiden, I believe not
What your lips so harshly say;
Eyes so big and black and melting
Are not much in virtue's way.
Strip the lies off, for I love you —
Brown-streaked lies that would delude!
Kiss me with your heart that white is —
Heart of white, hast understood?
4.
How the fancy of a moment
Leads to tenderest of ties!
From the trivial beginning
How the boundless passions rise!
For this lady, hourly waxes
Yearning deep within my heart,
Till I almost am persuaded
That I love her, for my part.
Fair her soul is, — although, frankly,
That is just as it may be;
Of her lovely face I'm surer,
That my eyes can plainly see.
Ah, the waist! And ah, the forehead!
And the nose! Her smile, how tender
On her lips it grows and gladdens!
And how straight she stands and slender!
5.
Ah, how fair you are when sweetly
You your mind to me disclose,
And, with sentiments the noblest,
Your oration overflows!
When you tell me how so worthy
And so lofty are your views:
How to pride of heart you never
Can a sacrifice refuse!
And how vainly one, with millions,
Would essay your love to buy —
Ere you sold yourself for money,
You would much prefer to die!
And I stand and meekly listen
Till the story's fully told,
Like a dumb adoring statue;
And my hands I meekly fold.
6.
I close her eyes and keep them tight,
And on her mouth I kiss;
And now she plagues me day and night,
To know the cause of this.
From evening late till morning light
She's always asking this:
" Why do you close my eyes so tight
When on my mouth you kiss? "
I tell her not; I know not quite
Just what the reason is —
I close her eyes and keep them tight,
And on her mouth I kiss.
7.
When, blest by the warmth of your kisses kind,
Enraptured in your arms I lie,
Talk not of Germany, never of that;
I cannot endure it — there's reason why.
Leave me in peace as to that, I entreat you!
Plague me not endlessly, asking reply,
As to kindred and home, and manner of living;
I cannot endure it — there's reason why.
Green is the oak there, blue-eyed are the women,
The women of Germany; softly they sigh
Of love and of hope, of hope and believing!
I cannot endure it — there's reason why.
8.
Fear not, love; from every danger
You are hidden safe and sure;
None will steal us: on each stranger,
See, I bolt the door secure.
You may mock the storm, unmovid,
For these walls are builded stout;
And in case of fire, beloved,
I will blow the candle out.
Should my arms your neck enfold, dear,
I entreat you, do not chide;
One so soon may catch a cold; dear.
When one's shawl is thrown aside.
9.
— — — — — —
— — — — — —
— — — — — —
— — — — — —
White, how lily-white her hands are!
How her hair in dreamy ringlets
Falls about her rosy face!
Perfect is her loveliness.
Yet to-day — (though why, I know not), —
She is scarcely, to my fancy,
Quite so slender as she once was,
She might easily be slimmer.
10.
After other people's treasures
While I'm peering round, and prying
At the doors of lovely strangers:
At their windows yearning, sighing:
Other people may be seeking
In another place their pleasure:
May be ogling at the windows
Where myself I keep my treasure.
'Tis but human! God in heaven
Bless our goings still, and guard us!
Bless and keep us, all and sundry,
And with fortune good reward us!
11.
You're indeed my ideal; I never was loth
To admit it, and oft, to my pleasure,
Have confirmed it with many a kiss and an oath;
But to-day I am not at leisure.
To-morrow come 'twixt two and three;
New flames will show you whether
My love could more devoted be;
And then we'll dine together.
If still for sale some tickets are,
I might prolong the revel:
Might to the opera go — so far;
They're playing Robert the Devil .
A great and wondrous work is this,
On Devils' love affairs;
By Scribe the bad libretto is;
The music's Meyerbeer's.
12.
Dismiss me not, though now your thirst
Is quenched with love's sweet wine;
But keep me still three months or so,
Till I have sated mine.
If thou canst be my love no more,
Be still my lovely friend;
'Tis meet that friendship should begin
When love is at an end.
13.
Now the carnival of loving,
And the heart-intoxication
Ends at last, and, disenchanted,
Leaves us yawning at each other.
We have drunk and drained the goblet
To the brim that foamed and sparkled
With delirium of the senses;
We have drained the goblet dry.
Dumb the fiddles now that fiddled
Tunes so lusty for our dancing,
For the dancing of our senses;
Mute the fiddles now and dumb.
And the lamps are dim and darkened,
Lamps that poured their light fantastic
On the garish masquerading;
Now the lamps have all been quenched.
And Ash-Wednesday's to-morrow.
And the sign upon your forehead
Of the ashen cross I make now:
Woman, know that thou art dust!
Now that heaven nods its favour,
Shall I stand, a mute confounded:
I who, knowing sorrow's savour,
Sang my woes till they resounded? —
Till a thousand youths despairing
Echoed after: told their passion
In the songs of my preparing,
Served anew in feebler fashion.
Nightingales, whose chorussed voices
In my soul I carry ringing,
Up and tell how love rejoices!
Tune your throats for raptured singing!
2.
One backward glance you always threw me,
However quick you passed me by, —
Your mouth, as if for question, open,
And pride tempestuous in your eye.
Would I had never sought to stay it:
That gown of white that went so fleet!
Would I might lose the track for ever,
Left lovely by your little feet!
Vanished at last is all your wildness;
Tame, like the rest, you meekly bow,
Serene, and kind beyond enduring;
And ah! you even love me now!
3.
Pretty maiden, I believe not
What your lips so harshly say;
Eyes so big and black and melting
Are not much in virtue's way.
Strip the lies off, for I love you —
Brown-streaked lies that would delude!
Kiss me with your heart that white is —
Heart of white, hast understood?
4.
How the fancy of a moment
Leads to tenderest of ties!
From the trivial beginning
How the boundless passions rise!
For this lady, hourly waxes
Yearning deep within my heart,
Till I almost am persuaded
That I love her, for my part.
Fair her soul is, — although, frankly,
That is just as it may be;
Of her lovely face I'm surer,
That my eyes can plainly see.
Ah, the waist! And ah, the forehead!
And the nose! Her smile, how tender
On her lips it grows and gladdens!
And how straight she stands and slender!
5.
Ah, how fair you are when sweetly
You your mind to me disclose,
And, with sentiments the noblest,
Your oration overflows!
When you tell me how so worthy
And so lofty are your views:
How to pride of heart you never
Can a sacrifice refuse!
And how vainly one, with millions,
Would essay your love to buy —
Ere you sold yourself for money,
You would much prefer to die!
And I stand and meekly listen
Till the story's fully told,
Like a dumb adoring statue;
And my hands I meekly fold.
6.
I close her eyes and keep them tight,
And on her mouth I kiss;
And now she plagues me day and night,
To know the cause of this.
From evening late till morning light
She's always asking this:
" Why do you close my eyes so tight
When on my mouth you kiss? "
I tell her not; I know not quite
Just what the reason is —
I close her eyes and keep them tight,
And on her mouth I kiss.
7.
When, blest by the warmth of your kisses kind,
Enraptured in your arms I lie,
Talk not of Germany, never of that;
I cannot endure it — there's reason why.
Leave me in peace as to that, I entreat you!
Plague me not endlessly, asking reply,
As to kindred and home, and manner of living;
I cannot endure it — there's reason why.
Green is the oak there, blue-eyed are the women,
The women of Germany; softly they sigh
Of love and of hope, of hope and believing!
I cannot endure it — there's reason why.
8.
Fear not, love; from every danger
You are hidden safe and sure;
None will steal us: on each stranger,
See, I bolt the door secure.
You may mock the storm, unmovid,
For these walls are builded stout;
And in case of fire, beloved,
I will blow the candle out.
Should my arms your neck enfold, dear,
I entreat you, do not chide;
One so soon may catch a cold; dear.
When one's shawl is thrown aside.
9.
— — — — — —
— — — — — —
— — — — — —
— — — — — —
White, how lily-white her hands are!
How her hair in dreamy ringlets
Falls about her rosy face!
Perfect is her loveliness.
Yet to-day — (though why, I know not), —
She is scarcely, to my fancy,
Quite so slender as she once was,
She might easily be slimmer.
10.
After other people's treasures
While I'm peering round, and prying
At the doors of lovely strangers:
At their windows yearning, sighing:
Other people may be seeking
In another place their pleasure:
May be ogling at the windows
Where myself I keep my treasure.
'Tis but human! God in heaven
Bless our goings still, and guard us!
Bless and keep us, all and sundry,
And with fortune good reward us!
11.
You're indeed my ideal; I never was loth
To admit it, and oft, to my pleasure,
Have confirmed it with many a kiss and an oath;
But to-day I am not at leisure.
To-morrow come 'twixt two and three;
New flames will show you whether
My love could more devoted be;
And then we'll dine together.
If still for sale some tickets are,
I might prolong the revel:
Might to the opera go — so far;
They're playing Robert the Devil .
A great and wondrous work is this,
On Devils' love affairs;
By Scribe the bad libretto is;
The music's Meyerbeer's.
12.
Dismiss me not, though now your thirst
Is quenched with love's sweet wine;
But keep me still three months or so,
Till I have sated mine.
If thou canst be my love no more,
Be still my lovely friend;
'Tis meet that friendship should begin
When love is at an end.
13.
Now the carnival of loving,
And the heart-intoxication
Ends at last, and, disenchanted,
Leaves us yawning at each other.
We have drunk and drained the goblet
To the brim that foamed and sparkled
With delirium of the senses;
We have drained the goblet dry.
Dumb the fiddles now that fiddled
Tunes so lusty for our dancing,
For the dancing of our senses;
Mute the fiddles now and dumb.
And the lamps are dim and darkened,
Lamps that poured their light fantastic
On the garish masquerading;
Now the lamps have all been quenched.
And Ash-Wednesday's to-morrow.
And the sign upon your forehead
Of the ashen cross I make now:
Woman, know that thou art dust!
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