Autumn And Winter

Three months bade wane and wax the wintering

Between two dates of death, while men were

Yet of the living light that all too soon   Three months bade wane.

Cold autumn, wan with wrath of wind and rain,

Saw pass a soul sweet as the sovereign

That death smote silent when he smote again.

First went my friend, in life's mid light of noon,

Who loved the lord of music:  then the

Whence earth was kindled like as heaven in June   Three months bade wane.

A herald soul before its master's

Touched by some few moons first the darkling

Where shades rose up to greet the shade, espying   A herald soul;

Shades of dead lords of music, who

Men living by the might of men undying,

With strength of strains that make delight of dole.

The deep dense dust on death's dim threshold

Trembled with sense of kindling sound that

Through darkness, and the night gave ear, descrying   A herald soul.

One went before, one after, but so

They seem gone hence together, from the

Whence we now gaze:  yet ere the mightier passed   One went before;

One whose whole heart of love, being set of

On that high joy which music lends us,

Light round him forth of music's radiant store.

Then went, while earth on winter glared aghast,

The mortal god he worshipped, through the

Wherethrough so late, his lover to the last,   One went before.

A star had set an hour before the

Sank from the skies wherethrough his heart's pulse

Thrills audibly:  but few took heed, or none,   A star had set.

All heaven rings back, sonorous with regret,

The deep dirge of the sunset:  how should

Soft star be missed in all the concourse met?

But,

O sweet single heart whose work is done,

Whose songs are silent, how should I

That ere the sunset's fiery goal was won   A star had set?