Читать книгу October and Other Poems with Occasional Verses on the War - Bridges Robert - Страница 8

Goddess azure-mantled and aureoled

That standing barefoot upon the moon

Or throned as a Queen of the earth

Tranquilly smilest to hold

The Child-god in thine arms,

Whence thy glory? Art not she

The country maiden of Galilee

Simple in dowerless poverty

Who from humble cradle to grave

Hadst no thought of this wonder?

When to man dull of heart

Dawn’d at length graciously

Thy might of Motherhood

The starry Truth beam’d on his home;

Then with insight exalted he gave thee

The trappings—Lady—wherewith his art

Delighteth to picture his spirit to sense

And that grace is immortal.

Fount of creative Love

Mother of the Word eternal

Atoning man with God:

Who set thee apart as a garden enclosed

From Nature’s all-producing wilds

To rear the richest fruit o’ the Life

Ever continuing out from Him

Urgent since the beginning.

Behold! Man setteth thine image in the height of Heaven

And hallowing his untemper’d love

Crowneth and throneth thee ador’d

(Tranquilly joyous to hold

The man-child in thine arms)

God-like apart from conflict to save thee

To guard thy weak caressive beauty

With incontaminate jewels of soul

Courage, patience, and self-devotion:

All this glory he gave thee.

Secret and slow is Nature

Imperceptibly moving

With surely determinate aim:

To woman it fell to be early in prime

Ready to labour, mould, and cherish

The delicate head of all Production

The wistful late-maturing boy

Who made Knowing of Being.

Therefore art thou ador’d

Mother of God in man

Naturing nurse of power:

They who adore not thee shall perish

But thou shalt keep thy path of joy

Envied of Angels because the All-father

Call’d thee to mother his nascent Word

And complete the creation.