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… Universe Remains; we sum it up—an infinite curse. So—am I aman? I lack my wife’s embrace. Am I outworn? I see the harlot’s face. Is the love better and the knowledge worse? Shall I seek knowledge and count love disgrace? Where is the profit in so idle a strife? The love of knowledge is the hate of life. 45
His death-spasms our love-spasms, my wife; His death-songs are the love-songs that you sung! Ah! Sweet, I love you as I see him stagger On with hell’s worm a-nuzzling to his heart, With your last letter, like a poisoned dagger, Biting his blood, burning his bones apart. Ah! Sweet, each kiss I drink from you is warm With the dear life-blood of a man—a man! The scent of murder lures me, like a charm Tied by some subtlety Canidian. Ay! as you suck my life out into bliss, Its holier joy is in the deadlier thirst That drank his life out into the aby…
TARSHITERING. NEPALI LOVE-SONG. O KISSABLE Tarshitering! the wild bird calls its mate—and I? Come to my tent this night of May, and cuddle close and crown me king! Drink, drink our fill of love at last—a little while and we shall die, O kissable Tarshitering! Droop the long lashes: close the eyes with eyelids like a beetle’s wing! Light the slow smile, ephemeral as ever a painted butterfly, Certain to close into a kiss, certain to fasten on me and sting! 20
PROLOGUE. PATCHOULI. LIKE memories of love they come, My perfumes in the silver vase: The fragrant root, the odorous gum, Myrrh, aloes, or olibanum :— Anon, like memories of love, they pass! They pass, and all the wonder-web Of thought and being is unrolled Like sombre tides there flow and ebb Wonderful things! not to be told: Beautiful things! and images of gold. The touch of brown Habiba’s breast, The brimming lip, the cheek of down, The dainty dovelet in its nest: These fade, as ever a palimpsest Like autumn vanishes from gold to brown. 61
Feel your grasp tighten round my ribs until You crush me in the ecstasies that kill. Being away and breathing icy air I am half lover, caring not to care; Half-man again—a mere terrestrial ball Thus breaking up a spiritual thrall— Eh, my philosophers ?—half-man may yet deter- mine To get back manhood, shake the tree from bats: To change the trope a shade—get rid of vermin By using William Shakespeare’s ‘‘ Rough on Rats.” VI. Ah, love, dear love, sole queen of my affection, Guess you not yet what wheel of thought is spun? How out of dawn’s tumul…
You cannot guess?—false devil that you are! To Cruelty’s add calm’s analysis! You love me? Yes—then crown me a bearded Sar Bull-breasted by my sleek Semiramis! Did you not hear those men below? They spoke Of one I think you have forgotten long; Talked of his ruined life—half as a joke— But I— But I—it is my whole heart’s song! I love you when I think of his pale lips Twitching, and all his curls of gold awry; Your smile of poison as he sighs and sips; Your half-scared laughter as his heart-beats die— Let him creep on, a shattered, ruined thing!…
…t your treasure Of cinnamon curls! Tremble with pleasure, O wonder of girls! Il. Rest is bliss, And bliss is rest, Give me a kiss If you love me best! Hold me like this With my head on your breast! 18
XVI. Wisdom and Love, intenser glow! Beauty and Strength, increase and burn! Be brothers to the law of life! Things as they are—their nature know! Act! Nor for faith nor folly turn! The hour is nigh when man and wife, Knowing, shall worship face to face, Beget and bear the royal race. 12
…heir music lulls you to unfathomable ecstasy, O kissable Tarshitering! Note.—This poem is probably the original of the well- known Hindu love song : ‘** Thora thairo, Tenduk, thora thairo, tum ! Thora thairo, thairo thora, thora thairo, tum !” 2!
This is our marriage; firmer than the root Of love or lust could plant our joy, my wife, We stand in this, the purple-seeded fruit Of yon youth’s fair and pitiable life. Do I not fear that you may treat me so? One day your passion slake itself somehow, Seek vigour from another murder? No! You harlot, for I mean to kill you—now.
…the boy Habib I wis his colour came and went. Quoth he: By Allah, ’tis a star Struck from the azure firmament! Habib: I pour the wine of love For Al Awaz the excellent. The king: I envy him thy shape, Thy voice, thy colour, and thy scent. 16
A heart of love, a crown of light, An infinite music of delight ;— This, but no more; let fancy sway But never fix the transient ray! All things are lawful, so they be At most a marshalled imagery. Dream of Earth's glories higher and higher, Mounting the minaret, desire; Never attaining to the sky, Realization—lest thou die. So dream, possessing all; so dream, Possessing nothing: I esteem These twain as one, since dreams they are. Thus mayst thou journey far and far And far! to climes unguessed, to seas Proud with seignorial argosies, 48
…urn up thy face to the stars! In their peace be at peace for awhile! Let us pass in their luminous cars As a sob, as a sigh, as a smile! Love me and laze Through the languorous days On the breast of the beautiful Nile! May, 1905. 54
…ies virgin of experience, Untrodden avenues of mind, Things far from hurrying humankind. Thus spins out life its splendid charm :— Live, love, enjoy, yet do no harm. No rose of thought may bear or breed The poisonous thorn of word and deed. Call ** homo sapiens ” him who thinks ; Talkers and doers—missing links! Such songs are twilight’s, when I stretch My limbs, and wander down to fetch My water from the cool cascade, My wood from the enchanted glade, 49
…s, Some virtue in the chrysopras, Some nymph or undine in the stream. Things as we know them should be enough To glut our misery and our love. VIII. Why must despair to madness drive The myriad fools that fear to die? God’s but a fervid phantom drawn Out of the hasty-ordered hive Of thoughts that battle agony In the melancholy hours of dawn. When vital force at lowest ebbs Anaemic nerves weave frailest webs.
… goal of peace or fame. Sinister, sombre, horrors and hates Lurk in the shadows, under the walls. Light deceives, and the darkness lies. Love there is none; he is child of peace: Joy there is none; she is bride of force: Thought there is none; it is birth:—there fell 35
…ied grain, No more at all: the vulgar sense is slain. Of all the world alone abides The faint perfume of Patchouli, That subtle death in love; it glides Across the opening dream, derides The fetich folly, immortality. Awake, O dream! Let distant bells And vague muezzins haunt the ear, Gaunt camels kneel by dusky wells, Imagination greyly hear: Allahu akbar! Allahu kabir! Over inhospitable sands Let the simoom its columns spin ! In snowy vales, untrodden lands, Let there be storm, and bearded bands Of robbers pass around the bubbling skin! 62
…O white cat! O windy star blown sideways up the sky! Twin cat, twin star, ’tis night; the owl and bat Hoot, scream; ’tis us they call—to love or die. Twin cat, our broomsticks wait: we'll fly afar! .We'll blaze about the unlighted sky, twin star! 13
She hath love by rime and rote, She is subtle and quick to man! She danceth? Say she doth float! Rapture is gold in her eyes! She sigheth honey-sweet sighs Of the glory of Japan! Red are her lips and large, The delicate courtesan !” Then the officer’s voice Caught in his throat for joy. Like birds in spring that rejoice, Clearly and softly the boy Whispered : ‘‘ Now, let us charge!” Then leaping sheer o’er trench and mound, They rise as a single man; They bound like antelopes over the ground For the glory of Japan. With glittering steel they wh…
Spews out its hideous lust. O loathéd life! Thou nameless horror of the bestial strife Of love and hate, I straitly charge thee quit This bed of nastiness, this putrid sea; For not by any amorous tricks of wit Shalt thou regain thine empire over me. O virgin, O my sister! Hear me, death! Thou hast a sleep compelling soul and mind. Thine is the sweet insufferable breath That comes like Bessarabia’s twilight wind To bring a quiet coolth from day’s long heat, Peace to the belly gorged with blood and meat}; Stars for the sun that smote, for fire sl…