20 For men must work, and women must weep, THE SANDS OF DEE (From Alton Locke, 1849) "O Mary, go and call the cattle home And call the cattle home, And call the cattle home 5 The western wind was wild and dank with foam And all alone went she. 10 15 20 The western tide crept up along the sand, And o'er and o'er the sand, And round and round the sand, As far as eye could see. The rolling mist came down and hid the land: And never home came she. "Oh! is it weed, or fish, or floating hair- A drowned maiden's hair Above the nets at sea? Was never salmon yet that shone so fair Among the stakes on Dee." They rowed her in across the rolling foam, The cruel crawling foam, The cruel hungry foam, To her grave beside the sea: But still the boatmen hear her call the cattle home Across the sands of Dee, CLEAR AND COOL (Song from The Water Babies, 1863) Clear and cool, clear and cool, By shining shingle, and foaming wear; Play by me, bathe in me, mother and child. Dank and foul, dank and foul, 10 By the smoky town in its murky cowl; 15 Who dare sport with the sin-defiled? Strong and free, strong and free; 25 Like a soul that has sinned and is pardoned again. Undefiled, for the undefiled; Play by me, bathe in me, mother and child. Artbur hugb Clough 1819-1861 QUA CURSUM VENTUS (From Ambarvalia, 1843) As ships, becalmed at eve, that lay Are scarce long leagues apart descried; 5 When fell the night, upsprung the breeze, 10 E'en so-but why the tale reveal Of those, whom year by year unchanged, Astounded, soul from soul estranged? At dead of night their sails were filled, And onward each rejoicing steered— 15 Ah, neither blame, for neither willed, 20 Or wist, what first with dawn appeared To veer, how vain! On, onward strain, But O blithe breeze! and O great seas, Though ne'er, that earliest parting past, 25 One port, methought, alike they sought, One purpose hold where'er they fare,— O bounding breeze, O rushing seas! At last, at last, unite them there. "WITH WHOM IS NO VARIABLENESS, NEITHER SHADOW OF TURNING " (From the same) It fortifies my soul to know SAY NOT, THE STRUGGLE NOUGHT AVAILETH (From the same) Say not, the struggle nought availeth, The enemy faints not, nor faileth, And as things have been they remain. 5 If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars; 10 For while the tired waves, vainly breaking, And not by eastern windows only, Where daylight comes, comes in the light, 15 In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly, But westward, look, the land is bright. THE STREAM OF LIFE (From the same) O stream descending to the sea, 5 In garden plots the children play, 10 O life descending unto death, Strong purposes our minds possess, 15 We toil and earn, we seek and learn, 20 O end to which our currents tend, To which we flow, what do we know, A roar we hear upon thy shore, |