But thine the spear may waste not that he wields Since first the God whose soul is man's live breath, The sun whose face hath our sun's face for shade, Put all the light of life and love and death Too strong for life, but not for love too strong, Where pain makes peace with pleasure in thy song, And in thine heart, where love and song make strife, Fire everlasting of eternal life. 67 THE GARDEN OF CYMODOCE. SEA, and bright wind, and heaven of ardent air, More dear than all things earth-born; O to me Mother more dear than love's own longing, sea, More than love's eyes are, fair, Be with my spirit of song as wings to bear, As fire to feel and breathe and brighten; be A spirit of sense more deep of deity, A light of love, if love may be, more strong In me than very song. For song I have loved with second love, but thee, Thee first, thee, mother; ere my songs had breath, That love of loves, whose bondage makes man free, Was in me strong as death. And seeing no slave may love thee, no, not one That loves not freedom more, And more for thy sake loves her, and for hers Thee ; or that hates not, on whate'er thy shore Or what thy wave soever, all things done Of man beneath the sun In his despite and thine, to cross and curse Your light and song that as with lamp and verse Guide safe the strength of our sphered universe, Thy breath it was, thou knowest, and none but thine, That taught me love of one thing more divine. |