ANGELS OF THE GRAIL Morven! .. Morven! .. Morven! .. Blood and Water, Water and Wine, World without end: three signs, one wonder -- Follow the Vision, -- Follow the Grail! MORVEN Blood of the sunset Adown the dark water, Wine of the wind, sweeping Onward, Westward, Herding the numberless Rush of foam-flinging Surges homeward Whither we follow Over the golden Floors of sundown: One way together Westward wending -- The sweep of the wind, The weight of the wave, The leap of the sail, And the swing of the oar. One way, the sun's way, Onward, Westward, From dawn to noonday From noon to even, From darkness to darkness; One way, the soul's way, Out of the darkness For one day only, Westward, onward, Alone down the gloaming, Into the darkness. One dream, the world's dream Alone we follow, O my wanderers, My strong companions, -- Follow the holy Angel-guarded Vision, the golden Grail, that shineth Eternal, Immortal; Onward, Westward, Heavenward, homeward, Follow the Vision -- Follow the Grail! CHORUS: IN AVALON Hither, O hither and rest! On the broad sea's billowy bosom, Avalon, bride of the West, smiles in the arms of the foam; Balm of warm noon, drowsy bird, and awakening blossom, Charm the tremulous air, welcome the wanderer home. Here, over meadows of endless May, the drifting clouds of a downy whiteness Gleam, and the sunbeam follows the shadow under the bloom of purple skies; Here the wild moon crowns the mountains, drowning the gloom in a bath of brightness Perfumed with paradise. We have forgotten your tears. Will ye feed impossible yearning With young years, and fight hungrily, proud of your pain? Come unto us, and discover the old sweet beauty returning Beauty, desire to delight, lover to lover again! Knights grown weary of hopeless honour, ladies fain of ungathered flowers, Saints unkissed, and sages dry of wine, and singers barren of song -- Learn the joy ye long for, join the dance of the rosy-footed hours, Laughing our days along. SONG OF SIGURD THE VOLSUNG The gold of the morning Shines on my shield, Her jewels adorning The sword that I wield; Clear of light and clean of breath -- Here's a day for life or death! For war without warning By forest and field. For maidenhood sleeping By fire girded round, For wealth of the creeping Worm underground; Thank the gods, who gave the same To the dragon and the flame, That gaining and keeping A man may be found! Then smite hard and spare not, Foeman unknown! I fear not, I care not, Mine arm is mine own. God nor man that hears my horn, Troll nor monster mountain-born, -- Shall dare what I dare not, Till one be o'erthrown! MORVEN Let me go hence! .. I have hungered and thirsted Overlong in your Avalon. Here is no heaven -- The Grail is not here! CHORUS Is there another joy than joy? O lover of sorrow, Surely our lips and eyes answer thine own, and are sweet! MORVEN Lo, in my heart Heard I one singing Of youth war-hardy, Pure of pleasure, Glad against fear. CHORUS Out of the arms of to-day let not the wanton tomorrow Lure thee away with lies. Fool, in what land shall ye meet? MORVEN And I said, beholding Beauty that breedeth Barren roses, And love unfought for, A flower without fruit -- How shall I make me An end of manhood To lie unavailing, Unwarlike, unworthy, Steeped in sweet? CHORUS No more. There is no home but here, nor ever was, nor shall be forever. Over our stars forbidden heavens, under our flowers forgotten hells Warn in vain; before and beyond, the wind's unrest and the sea's endeavour Dream, and shall find naught else. MORVEN I will go in might As a man, wayfaring Whither the brave blood Poured for sword-swing Riseth again As the rain returning Sunward, and turneth To wine poured forth Before heroes in heaven. Thither will I too Fare and follow Beyond the world's end, Over the rainbow, Onward, upward, Heavenward, homeward, Follow the Vision -- Follow the Grail! CHORUS: IN VALHALLA To Valhall, O Stranger, Drink deep, and be cheered For days of thy danger And ways of thy weird, Ere the war-maidens bore us The heroes high-vaunting, Stout sons of the sword -- With the great ones before us To ride to the hunting, And feast at the board. By the field, by the foam, Where our hearts were not wanting, Where our force did not fail -- We have won our reward, We are crowned, we are come, To Valhalla our home. Waes Hael! To our brothers who fought us, Good welcome again! Your manhood first taught us We also were men. By our wars without hate, By our wounds without shame, By our death without fear -- Hand in hand, mate by mate, Pledge our fellowship here. For the love of the game, The strong arm that defends Till a stronger prevail, The high deeds, the hard ends, -- To our foemen, our friends, Waes Hael! To our grim gods, who drained us Of sorrow and joy; Disowned us, disdained us, Till all that remained us Ye could not destroy: By the hammer of doom, By the flame of desire, By the flood of despair -- Ye have forged us a pride Either side of the tomb, Undismayed here as there. For the gloom and the fire, For our woe, for our worth Before heaven and earth, Pour once more the brown ale! -- To the gods we defied, Face to face, open-eyed, Waes Hael! HYMN OF SAINT CECILIA Let my sorrow, Lord, Seek thy breast; Never, but for thee, Faint or fear -- Till I find my rest, My reward, Folded in thy dear Purity. Never let me weep Any more -- Only lay my soul In thy hand; Only as before Fall asleep, Making thy command My control. Close the world away From my sight; Let the legions move, -- Lovers cling, -- Hidden in the night; While the day Owns but thee, one King And one Love. MORVEN Let me go hence! .. Lo, in my soul Have I heard one singing Of faith white-hearted, Holy in sorrow, Lowly in prayer. And I said, remembering Pride that drinketh Bitter water And power unbridled, A fire without food -- How shall I make me An end of wonder To vaunt in Valhalla Unhumbled, unhallowed -- The Grail is not there! I will go in my sins As a pilgrim, seeking Whither the tears Of the world, forever Calm with forgiveness, Flow like a shining River of peace Before Christ in heaven; And beneath Him, around Him, Glad golden angels, Grave-eyed like children, Cast their crowns down By the fountain, crying: Holy, Holy, Holy. Thither will I too Fare and follow Through the silence -- Beyond the shadow -- Onward, upward, Heavenward, homeward, Follow the Vision -- Follow the Grail! CHORUS: IN PARADISE Golden with hearts of gold thine everlasting city -- Rainbow-bright with jewels, and every gem a soul -- Hosanna! The Lord above Reigneth as a lord of love -- Hosanna! the Lord of might that is Lord of pity Buildeth of broken things the glory and the goal! We have sinned and turned away our faces From the light we could not call our own; Father, thou hast sought in lonely places For thy children, gathered us and crowned us With the peace that blooms about thy throne. We have sorrowed where our fears confound us And the clouds return after the rain; Saviour, for thy death we feel around us Arms departed, hear forgotten voices, And the eyes we saw weep, smile again. We have dreamed: by fitful flames, and noises Of the night, we fought and labored long; Spirit, in thy mystery rejoices The lost heart of dreams, the purer glory Shining at the end of every story -- Calling at the close of every song. Therefore with angels, with Cherubim and Seraphim, With all who shall follow and all who went before, Hosanna! The King of Kings Hath compassed His imaginings! Hosanna! We praise Him and magnify His name; to Him The Kingdom and the power and the glory ever-more! LULLABY OF OUR LADY I have dreamed of strange things This night. Lo, they are gone -- The voices, and great wings, And the three kneeling kings -- Leaving me here alone Now all is done With this that is mine own... The Man, my Son. Master, thy high commands!.. Must we put forth to bless Unfathomed seas, far lands, These little angry hands? -- Will earthquake and eclipse Claim, and confess Those little hungry lips Of helplessness? Ah, hush, then!.. Take no heed Of prophecy nor sign, While I am all thy need Though thou be God indeed. What matter less or more, Human, divine? -- Never was born before A babe like mine. MORVEN Let me go hence!.. Prayer and praise Have I proven in Paradise; The Grail only Beheld I never In any heaven. For lo, even now, Even here, my spirit Heard one singing Of life new-born Unto hope and hunger Adventure, endeavour; And I said, understanding The eyes of children, The lips of women, The hands of men -- I will go down Out of rest forever For love of the world To the world again. I will go as a babe That is born, as a soul sent Forth from before God Bathed in forgetfulness To wonder and wander Through pain and beauty, Laughter and labour And shame, unendingly, Knowing and growing. One way, the world's way, The sun's way, the soul's way -- Day after day From the deep rearisen, The same, yet another, Westward wending From dawn to noon From noon to even From even to dawn. One dream, God's dream That no man knoweth Never to find Forever to follow -- The unbeholden Glory, the gleam Above all heavens Beyond all horizons -- Earthward, downward Outward, onward, Follow the wonder -- Follow the Grail! ANGELS OF THE GRAIL Morven!.. Morven!.. Morven!.. Blood and water Water and wine Life, death, and life, three dreams, one waking -- Behold the vision -- Behold the Grail! From His throne alone and afar In the night before light began, The Lord let fall a star Into the heart of the sea. And a ripple arose and ran Spreading eternally In glimmering rings that roll Over the dark of the sea, As the ripple of years that flow Over the dark of the soul -- Circles of weal and woe Widening evermore, With hell in the gulf below And heaven where shadows move To the shore that is no shore. And in the light thereof Are all things written plain; For the name of the sea was Love And the name of the star was Pain. And the Lord lifted up Gold of the star that fell, And fashioned a golden cup Thereof, and blent therein Wine that was poured in hell To waken the heart of sin; Water from streams that rise Where weary angels win Heaven, and fall asleep; And blood of sacrifice Burned for old gods that weep Forgotten. And the Lord Blessed the cup, and drank deep And set it for a sign In the West, and spoke a word, Saying: "This blood is mine: Let him who hungereth Drink." And he called the wine Life, and the water Death. And over the face of the world Fly, as the shadow flies Where a pillar of smoke is whirled Away on the wind, the desire Of Man, and the joy of his eyes: A pillar of cloud, and a fire Burning beneath, and above Veils that resolve and retire Into the light, and are gone: And under the shadow thereof, Hope awake in the dawn And Faith as a bird that sings In the dark, and Love withdrawn, -- Follow, and shall not fly Beyond the beginning of wings. Man shall environ the sky And the sea in the mist of his breath; In the dust of his deeds he shall lie Down, and deny his worth, Falling from death to death -- Rising from birth to birth Where the wind of his dream is driven -- In Hell as it is on earth, On earth as it is in Heaven. CHORUS: ON EARTH Children of men, march on Beyond the veil, nor fear An end of any beauty now begun; Seeing how all that longs from nothingness Into desire proclaims No heaven but to be more, no hell but to be less Than ye have held most dear. Therefore dread not to find your ancient flames Faint in the radiance of a purer sun; Or at the shrine of human passion, praise Unwelcome gods, unwillingly adored By strange, cold, holy names. Ye shall not find them. Many are my ways; My will is one, Saith the Lord. He that hath eyes to see, Let him behold the tide's eternity, Under the sway of the moving moon, Through the huge pulse of ocean swell and swoon, Changing unchangingly; He that hath ears to hear, Hearken the birth-cry of the dying year, When out of nakedness and frozen stone Laughs rearisen spring, Glorified in sweet green and sunlit gold, With breath of wild virginity, and tune Of marriage-merry birds that sing The coming of the bridegroom to his own Once more, even as of old; And he that hath a heart to understand Feel hour by hour the crown of his reward Melt from his brow and harden in his hand Into a stronger sword: -- Nor doubt nor dream of narrower destinies Than to return beneath yet undiscovered skies, Risen again as the day riseth again, Reborn as the year is reborn -- Not in some alien heaven prisoned in vain Where that which hath been man is put to scorn; But as a traveller may come With old love and new eyes To the wonder of his home. Children of earth, dream on Beyond your heaven, and dare Choose your own gold wherewith ye shall be crowned; Seeing He also dreams whose dream ye are, Nor will endure to bound That vision by the sweep of any nearer star Than ye have found most fair. Therefore from faith to faith, from goal to goal Unfurl the sunward pathway of the soul -- Ever amid the music falling A melody unremembered still -- Ever to grow, to gain Wilder joy, wiser pain, Diviner peace to conquer and defend By more than mortal strife: -- Life -- everlasting life, World without end. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE MEASURE OF THE YEAR by JAMES GALVIN CURTAIN by GEORGIA DOUGLAS JOHNSON A MENDOCINO MEMORY by EDWIN MARKHAM HOMAGE TO SEXTUS PROPERTIUS: 9 by EZRA POUND SONNET (6) by GEORGE SANTAYANA VARIATIONS ON A THEME: ROMANCE by EDITH SITWELL |