The Blessed Damozel

The blessed Damozel lean'd out
From the gold bar of heaven
Her eyes were deeper than the depth
Of water still'd at even
She had three lilies in her hand
And the stars in her hair were seven

Her robe, ungirt from clasp to hem
No wrought flowers did adorn
But a white rose of Mary's gift
For service meetly worn
Her hair that lay along her back
Was yellow like ripe corn

Her seeme'd she scarce had been a day
One of God's choristers
The wonder was not yet quite gone
From that still look of hers
Albeit, to them she left, her day
Had counted as ten years

(To one, it is ten years of years
Yet now, and in this place
Surely she lean'd o'er me
Her hair fell about my face....
Nothing, the autum-fall of leaves
The whole year sets apace.)

It was the rampart of God's house
That she was standing on; the sheer depth
The wich is space begun;
So high, that looking downward thence
She scarce could see the sun

It lies in heaven, across the flood
Of ether, as a bridge
Beneath, the tides of day and night
With flame and darkness ridge
The void, as low as where this earth
Spins like a fretful midge

Around here, lovers, newly met
A'mid deathless love's acclaims
Spoke evermore among themselves
Their heart-remember'd names;
And the souls mounting up to God
Went by her like thin flames

And still she bow'd herself and stoop'd
Out of the circling charm;
Until her bosom must have made
The bar she lean'd on warm
And the lilies lay as if asleep
Along her bended arm

From the fix'd place of heaven she saw
Time like a pulse shake fierce
Through all the worlds. Her gaze still strove
Within the gulf to pierce
Its path; And now she spoke as when
The stars sang in their spheres

The sun was gone now;
The curl'd moon was like a little feather
Fluttering far down the gulf; And now
She spoke through the still weather
Her voice was like the voice the stars
Had when they sang together

(Ah sweet ! Even now, in that bird's song
Strove not her accents there
Fain to be hearken'd ? When those bells
Possess'd the mid-day air
Strove not her steps to reach my side
Down all the echoing stair ?)

"I wish that he were come to me, for he will come," she said
"Have I not pray'd in heaven? On earth
Lord, Lord, has he not pray'd ?
Are not two prayers a perfect strength?
And shall I feel afraid ?

"When round his head the aureole clings
And he is cloth'd in white
I'll take his hand and go with him
To the deep wells of light;
As unto a stream we will step down
And bathe there in God's sight

"We two will stand beside that shrine
Occult, withheld, untrod
Whose lamps are stirr'd continually
With prayer send up to God;
And see our old prayers, grantesd, melt
Each like a little cloud

"We two will lie i' the shadow of
That living mystic tree
Within whose secret growth the dove
Is sometimes felt to be
While every leaf that his plumes touch
Saith his name audibly

"And myself will teach to him
I myself, lying so
The songs I sing here; which his voice
Shall pause in, hush'd and slow
And find some knowledge at each pause
Or some new thing to know."

(Alas !We two, we two, thou say'st!
Yea, one wast thou with me
That once of old. But shall God lift
To endless unity
The soul whose likeness with thy soul
Was but its love for three ?)

"We two," she said, "will seek the groves
Where the lady Mary is
With her five handmaidens, whose names
Are five sweet symphonies
Cecily, Gertrude, Magdalen
Margaret and Rosalys

"Circlewise sit they, with bound locks
And foreheads garlanded;
Into the fine cloth white like flame
Weaving the golden thread
To fashion the birth-robes for them
Who are just born, being dead

"He shall fear, haply, and be dumb :
Then will I lay my cheek
To his, and tell about our love
Not once abash'd or weak :
And the dear mother will approve
My pride, and let me speak

"Herself shall bring us, hand in hand
To him round whom all souls
Kneel, the clear-rang´d unnumber'd heads
Bow'd within their aureoles :
And angels meeting us shall sing
To their citherns and citoles

"There will ask of Christ the Lord
Thus much for him and me
Only to live as once on earth
With love,--only to be
As then awhile, for ever now
Together, I and he"

She gaz'd and listen'd and then said
Less sad of speech than mild
"All this is when he comes." She ceas'd
The light thrill'd towards her, fill'd
With angels in strong level flight
Her eyes pray'd, and she smil'd

(I saw her smile) But soon their path
Was vague in distant spheres :
And than she cast her arms along
The golden barriers
And laid her face between her hands
And wept (I heard her tears)