第 19 节
作者:大热      更新:2022-11-23 12:13      字数:6798
  that Love Should as soon pass away … What wonder I saw it Fade; fail; and
  decay。
  The Vow?why what was it; It snapped like a thread: Who cares for
  the   corpse When   the   spirit   is   fled? Then   I   said;   〃Let   the   Dead   rise And
  bury its dead;
  〃While the true; living future Grows pure; wise; and strong〃 So I cast
  the   gold   heart;   I   had   worn   for   so   long;   In   the   Lake;   and   bound   on   it A
  Stoneand a Wrong!
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  LEGENDS AND LYRICS … SECOND SERIES
  III。
  Look; this little golden Heart Was a true…love shrine For a tress of hair;
  I held them; Heart and tress; as mine; Like the Love which gave the token
  See to…day the Heart is broken!
  Broken   is   the   golden   heart;   Lost   the   tress   of   hair; Ah;   the   shrine   is
  empty; vacant; Desolate; and bare! So the token should depart; When Love
  dies within the heart。
  Fast   and   deep   the   river   floweth;   Floweth   to   the   west;   I   will   cast   the
  golden trinket In its cold dark breast; … Flow; oh river; deep and fast; Over
  all the buried past!
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  VERSE:                   TWO LOVES
  Deep within my heart of hearts; dear; Bound with all its strings; Two
  Loves are together reigning Both are crowned like Kings; While my life;
  still uncomplaining; Rests beneath their wings。
  So they both will rule my heart; dear; Till it cease to beat; No sway can
  be deeper; stronger; Truer; more complete; Growing; as it lasts the longer;
  Sweeter; and more sweet。
  One     all  life  and  time   transfigures;   Piercing   through    and   through
  Meaner things with magic splendour; Old; yet ever new: This;so strong
  and yet so tender; … Is 。 。 。 my Love for you。
  Should   it   fail;forgive   my   doubting   In   this   world   of   pain;   … Yet   my
  other Love would ever Steadfastly remain; And I know that I could never
  Turn to that in vain。
  Though its radiance may be fainter; Yet its task is wide; For it lives to
  comfort sorrows; Strengthen; calm; and guide; And from Trust and Honour
  borrows All its peace and pride。
  Will you blame my dreaming even If the first were flown? Ah; I would
  not live without it; It is all your own: And the othercan you doubt it? …
  Yours; and yours alone。
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  VERSE:                  A WOMAN'S LAST
  WORD
  Wellthe links are broken; All is past; This farewell; when spoken; Is
  the last。  I have  tried   and   striven All in   vain;   Such   bonds   must   be   riven;
  Spite of pain; And never; never; never Knit again。
  So I tell you plainly; It must be: I shall try; not vainly; To be free; Truer;
  happier chances Wait me yet; While you; through fresh fancies; Can forget;
  … And life has nobler uses Than Regret。
  All past words retracing; One by one; Does not help effacing What is
  done。   Let   it   be。 Oh;   stronger   Links   can   break!   Had   we   dreamed   still
  longer We could wake; … Yet let us part in kindness For Love's sake。
  Bitterness   and   sorrow   Will   at   last;   In   some   bright   to…morrow;   Heal
  their past;   But   future   hearts   will   never Be   as true As   mine   wasis ever;
  Dear; for you 。 。 。 。 。 。 Then must we part; when loving As we do?
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  VERSE:                    PAST AND PRESENT
  〃Linger;〃   I   cried;   〃oh   radiant   Time!   thy   power   Has   nothing   more   to
  give;   life   is   complete:   Let   but   the   perfect   Present;   hour   by   hour;   Itself
  remember and itself repeat。
  〃And Love;the future can but mar its splendour; Change can but dim
  the glory of its youth; Time has no star more faithful or more tender; To
  crown its constancy or light its truth。〃
  But Time passed on in spite of prayer or pleading; Through storm and
  peril;   but  that  life  might   gain   A   Peace   through    strife  all  other  peace
  exceeding; Fresh joy from sorrow; and new hope from pain。
  And   since   Love   lived   when   all   save   Love   was   dying;   And;   passed
  through fire; grew stronger than before:… Dear; you know why; in double
  faith relying; I prize the Past much; but the Present more。
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  VERSE:                     FOR THE FUTURE
  I wonder did you ever count The value of one human fate; Or sum the
  infinite   amount   Of   one   heart's   treasures;   and   the   weight   Of   Life's   one
  venture; and the whole concentrate purpose of a soul。
  And   if   you   ever   paused   to   think   That   all   this   in   your   hands   I   laid
  Without a fear:… did you not shrink From such a burthen? half afraid; Half
  wishing that you could divide the risk; or cast it all aside。
  While Love has daily perils; such As none foresee and none control;
  And   hearts   are   strung   so   that   one   touch;   Careless   or   rough;   may  jar   the
  whole; You well might feel afraid to reign with absolute power of joy and
  pain。
  You well might fearif Love's sole claim Were to be happy:                   but true
  Love Takes joy as solace; not as aim; And looks beyond; and looks above;
  And sometimes through the bitterest strife first learns to live her highest
  life。
  Earth forges joy into a chain Till fettered Love forgets its strength; Its
  purpose;   and   its   end;but   Pain   Restores   its   heritage   at   length; And   bids
  Love rise again and be eternal; mighty; pure; and free。
  If then your future life should need A strength my Love can only gain
  Through suffering; or my heart be freed Only by sorrow; from some stain …
  Then   you   shall   give;   and   I   will   take;   this   Crown   of   fire   for   Love's   dear
  sake。
  Sept。 8th; 1860。
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