Love the Betrayer.
Lo ! in a dream Love came to me and cried,1
“ The summer dawn creeps over land and sea,2
The golden fields are ripe for harvest-tide,3
And the grape-gatherers climb the mountain side ;4
The harvest joy is come, I wait for thee,5
Arise, come down, and follow, follow me.”6
And I arose, went down, and followed him ;7
The reaper’s song came ringing through the air,8
Below, the morning mists grew pale and dim,9
And on the mountain ridge the sun’s bright rim10
Rose swiftly, and the glorious dawn was there.11
I followed, followed Love, I knew not where.12
Through orange groves and orchard ways we went,13
The cool fresh dew lay deep on grass and tree,14
Above our heads the laden boughs were bent15
With weight of ripening fruit ; the faint sweet scent16
Of fragrant myrtles drifted up to me :17
Blindly, O Love, blindly I followed thee !18
O Love, the morning shadows passed away19
From off the broad fair fields of waving wheat ;20
I followed thee, till in the full noon day21
The weary women in the vineyards lay ;22
The tall field flowers drooped fading in the heat ;23
I followed thee with bruised and bleeding feet.24
Upon the long white road the fierce sun shone,25
And on the distant town and wide waste plain,26
O Love, I blindly, blindly followed on,27
Nor knew how sharp the way my feet had gone ;28
Nor knew I aught of shame or loss or pain,29
Nor knew I all my labour was in vain.30
The sun sank down in silence o’er the land,31
The heavy shadows gathered deep and black ;32
Across the lonely waste of reeds and sand33
I followed Love; I could not touch his hand,34
Nor see his hidden face, nor turn me back,35
Nor find again the far-off mountain track.36
Blindly, O Love, blindly I followed thee :37
The summer night lay on the silent plain,38
And on the sleeping city and the sea ;39
The sound of rippling waves came up to me.40
O Love, the dawn drew near; far off again41
The grey light gathered where the night had lain.42
On through the quiet street Love passed and cried,43
“ The summer dawn creeps over land and sea ;44
Sweet is the summer and the harvest-tide ;45
Awake, arise, Love waits for thee his Bride.”46
And she arose and followed, followed thee,47
O traitor Love! who hast forsaken me.48