Читать книгу The Continental Monthly, Vol. 5, No. 3, March, 1864 - Various - Страница 3

High and fathomless above us vaults the pure aerial sky,

Solemn bends its arch of Beauty round a world where all things die.

On the dome through which Earth's swinging, spun of palpitating air,

Angel artists fresco vapors into pictures passing fair.

No cold canvas of dead color has the Mighty Master given:

Trembles with His Infinity the azure vault of Heaven.

On and in the lucent background float the ever-changeful forms,

Sometimes glowing into glory, sometimes glooming into storms.

God's blest seal is on creation; signs and symbols throng the sky,

Though too dull to read their meaning droops the stolid human eye.

Over mountain, over valley throng the clouds to soothe the sight;

Through the dim walls of the city gleam they buoyant, fleeting, bright.

Gentle, dreadful, or fantastic—nearer, farther as we gaze;

Varied, spiritual, tender, forms and melts the surging haze.

'Heavenly secrets' breathe around us—lowly flowers on the sod,

Cloudland's curves and grading colors veil the Infinite of God.

The Infinite—we shudder! but wild longings through us steal

As we vainly strive to grasp It till our failing senses reel.

Ever longing, never grasping, though in tenderness It stoop

To shade the scented cups of flowers, to bend them as they droop.

For through infinite gradations pass the changeful hues of light,

That the infinite through color may send greetings to the sight.

Through ne'er-returning, endless curves, flowers, trees, clouds, mountains pass,

That man may see the Infinite through nature's magic glass.

Oh, tender stooping! soothing! Infinite Love must be

The cause, aim, end, the burning heart of everything we see.

Earth may cover deep her dying, parted hearts chant weary dirge,

But we feel death is but seeming in the Cloudland's evening surge.

Floating high above the mountains, in the fields of upper air,

Multitudinous throng the Cirri, ranged in order, heavenly fair.

Rank upon rank in glory lie the transverse, plumy bars;

Tranquil beauty rules the union which disorder never mars.

Perfect symmetry, obedience, mark their finely chiselled lines—

In the highest sphere of being flexile grace with law combines.

Now they break in fleecy ripples as innumerably they press;

Shines the blue of Heaven between them as they fly the Wind's caress.

Millions fleck the face of Heaven, but no two alike are ever:

Restless mirror of the Infinite, form seems exhausted never.

Are they lambs 'mid Heaven's blue pastures? are they swans with downy breast

Floating through that azure ocean round the region of the Blest?

Are they snowy wings of Cherubs gathering round the Throne above,

As the vesper hymn of Heaven rises to the Eternal Love?

Gazing on their wavy ripples, they seem mingling with the sky,

Yet the heavenly little islets still innumerable lie.

How the fleecy cloudlets glitter as they sail so clear and high!

Is light curdling into snowflakes as it streams athwart the sky?

Freezing? No—warm and glowing, ambient, changeful, feathery, bright,

Rather seem the floating vapors melting into roseate light.

With the white flame in their bosoms, and the pure blue depths above,

When the sunset rays dart kisses, how they kindle into love!

See, with every shaft electric flash the bright hues deeper, higher,

Till the chaste and snowy cloudlets fleck the Blue of Heaven with fire.

How they flush and how they quiver! how the virgin drifts of snow

Drink the sunset's dying passion, catch his ardent parting glow!

Love weaves close in chords harmonic all the finely fretted dome,

Blue, white, purple, gold, and crimson, fringe, melt, ripple into foam.

Thus the angels drape God's footstool with soft vapor, wind, and sun:

Does His smile rest on the artists when their pleasant work is done?

Do they see Him bend the Heavens, riding swiftly on the clouds,

Heat His Heart, and Light the shadow which His inner Glory shrouds?

Seraphs, cherubs, thronging round Him, shall our hearts no raptures move?

Shall we prove dull links reluctant in the chain of endless love?

No. We feel the electric secret flashing through the Perfect Whole,

'Bliss eternal' telegraphing upon every faithful soul.

Leave we now the upper regions

With their wonders pure and high,

Gone the barred and fleecy Cirri—

Mountain Cumuli storm the sky.

High the calmness floats above us,

Tears and rain lie far below,

As we sail the middle Cloudland,

Where the vapors come and go.

Throbs a wilder pulse of passion,

Stronger individual life,

Rapid, energetic motion

Tells of elemental strife.

Nearer seem they to the human,

Rearing dizzy forms on high,

Than the order-loving Cirri

Barring the translucent sky.

Lovingly they crest our mountains,

Hovering o'er them all the day,

Copying all the soaring outlines

In artistic, skilful play;

Following close on the horizon,

Dip, break, gap, and lofty peak,

As to build Earth into Heaven

Would the haunting vapors seek.

Drifting swiftly through the azure,

Chase they shadows over Earth:

Flying footsteps, soft and silent,

Flit o'er grassy graves in mirth.

Shudder not—the bearded harvest

Quivers not, so light the tread:

Let it glide o'er moss and violet—

Would its touch could wake our dead!

Piling now, the tossing vapors,

With a wild exultant power,

Rise in turrets, towers, mountains,

Changing with the changing hour.

Glittering, gleaming, dazzling, snowy,

Heart-tossed shadows in them lie;

Broken, scattered, wind-torn, foamy,

Haunt they through Earth's panting sky.

Luminous jets of boiling vapor

Topple into sudden rifts,

Open into yawning chasms,

Break in tortured whirling drifts,

Panting, surging, rocking, reeling,

Cradling in their hearts the storm,

Spirit, power, passion flashing,

Lightning bares each secret form.

Banding now in groups colossal,

Piling o'er the mountain crest,

Sweeping down his rocky summit,

Crashing through his wooded breast,

Shattering fall his pines and larches,

Rain, hail, tumult onward swell,

Lightning scathes the shuddering forest,

Thunder frights the leafy dell.

Sunset fires the whirling vapors,

Now they sway and rock in light,

Toppling crests fling back the radiance,

Through the rifts it glitters bright,

Gloomy clouds are ruby kindling,

Rippling fringed with molten gold,

Rosy streams of color pouring,

Through the tempest's blackness rolled.

Surging weird in fitful beauty,

Every moment fraught with change,

Every break and mystic chasm

Opening up a Heaven-range:

Now the eastern peaks are kindling

Glow as though the Morning's heart

Throbbed against them, while the formless

Clouds to phantom being start.

Thus through storm-tost human bosoms

God oft sends His rays divine;

Passionate errors, when forgiven,

Lead us on to trust sublime.

God rays light through moral tempests,

Brings repentance out of crime;

'Much forgiven' ploughs the spirit,

Former faults as beacons shine.

Through our ruins Love is gleaming,

Rippling o'er in molten gold,

Rosy streams of life are pouring

Through our tempest's blackness rolled.

Glittering thus in growing beauty,

Every moment fraught with change,

Through each rift and shattered chasm

We may see the Heaven-range.

Thus the angels build the pictures

In the vext or tranquil skies,

Of our changeful human passions,

Stormful fall and heaven-won rise.

Thus they write in love and pity,

Radiant with their heaven-dyes,

Lessons for the lost, the erring,

Hope for weary, dying eyes.

High float the Cirri,

Passionless, pure;

Wild pile the Cumuli,

Never secure;

Low sweep the Rain Clouds

Over the sky,

Glooming the sunshine,

Slow trailing by.

Mystical region

Typifies Earth—

Light in the bosom

Of darkness has birth;

Magical mingling

Of beauty and gloom,

Calm follows tempest

As Heaven the tomb.

Shrouding the distance,

Legions of mist

Glide down the river

Joining the list

Of the shadowy army

Hurrying on

Over wide waters

To welcome the sun.

Catching his gleaming,

Faster they run,

Roseate surging,

Roll into one;

Filling the valley,

Luminous haze,

Heavenward soaring,

Rocks as we gaze;

Lifting strange columns

Of light in the air,

Weaves golden sunshine

Fitful and fair

Through the cloud pillars

Thrown to the sky,

Like the Dream-ladder

Jacob slept by.

Trailing o'er treetops,

Shadowing graves,

Gloomily weeping

While the wind raves,

Blurring the landscape

Rain clouds press on,

Lowering on nature

With leaden-hued frown.

Sulphurous, lurid,

Thunder is near;

Sobbings and mutterings

Fill us with fear.

Palls with wild fringes

Stream on behind—

Death may be riding

The wings of the wind.

Jagged clouds hanging

Formless and black,

Hurtle the whirlwind

Fast o'er their track;

Fiery flashes

Scathe the green plain;

Cataracts falling

In torrents of rain.

Thunder and lightning

Crash through the sky;

Whirlwinds are carding

The clouds as they fly!

Nature is reeling,

Sin at our heart,

Heaven is angered—

Well may we start!

God throws His shadow

Into the gloom;

The raindrops have caught it,

And break into bloom!

His light on Earth's teardrops

Gems Bliss on her clouds,

His rainbow of color

Paints Hope on her shrouds.

Tender and lovely,

Luminous, fair,

Infinite Beauty

Is bending through air,

Breathing through color,

Through Order, through Form,

That infinite Love

Rules the heart of the storm.

Caught in soft meshes,

Fractions the light,

Gold, green, or ruby,

Tremblingly bright.

Through the torn chasms

Smiles the lost blue—

The wilder the drifting,

The deeper the hue.

Beauty above us,

Beauty around,

Clouds, stars gem the heavens,

Trees, flowers paint the ground.

Rapturous meaning

Illumines the whole:

God gives us Beauty,

For Love is His Soul!

High-floating Cirri,

Passionless, pure;

Wild-piling Cumuli,

Never secure;

Low-trailing Rain Clouds

With rainbow-lit pall—

Softly ye whisper

That Love ruleth all!