And he saved their souls from hell.
Bowed with years and pain he came back again

To his father's dwelling place.
There was none to see who this tramp might be,

For they knew not his bearded face.
But his father said, "Give him drink and bread

And a couch underneath the stair."
So Alexis crept to his hole and slept.

But he might not linger there.
For when night came down on the seven-hilled town,

And the emperorhurried in,
Saying, "Lo, I hear that a saint is near

Who will cleanse us of our sin,"
Then they looked in vain where the saint had lain,

For his soul had fled afar,
From his fleshly home he had gone to roam

Where the gold-paved highways are.
We who beg for bread as we daily tread

Country lane and city street,
Let us kneel and pray on the broad highway

To the saint with the vagrant feet.
Our altar light is a buttercup bright,

And our shrine is a bank of sod,
But still we share St. Alexis' care,

The Vagabond of God!
Folly

(For A. K. K.)
What distant mountains thrill and glow

Beneath our Lady Folly's tread?
Why has she left us, wise in woe,

Shrewd, practical, uncomforted?
We cannot love or dream or sing,

We are too cynical to pray,
There is no joy in anything

Since Lady Folly went away.
Many a knight and gentle maid,

Whose glory shines from years gone by,
Through ignorance was unafraid

And as a fool knew how to die.
Saint Folly rode beside Jehanne

And broke the ranks of Hell with her,
And Folly's smile shone brightly on

Christ's plaything, Brother Juniper.
Our minds are troubled and defiled

By study in a weary school.
O for the folly of the child!

The ready courage of the fool!
Lord, crush our knowledge utterly

And make us humble, simple men;
And cleansed of wisdom, let us see

Our Lady Folly's face again.
Madness

(For Sara Teasdale)
The lonely farm, the crowded street,

The palace and the slum,
Give welcome to my silent feet

As, bearing gifts, I come.
Last night a beggar crouched alone,

A raggedhelpless thing;
I set him on a moonbeam throne --

Today he is a king.
Last night a king in orb and crown

Held court with splendid cheer;
Today he tears his purple gown

And moans and shrieks in fear.
Not iron bars, nor flashing spears,

Not land, nor sky, nor sea,
Nor love's artillery of tears

Can keep mine own from me.
Serene, unchanging, ever fair,

I smile with secret mirth
And in a net of mine own hair

I swing the captive earth.
Poets

Vain is the chiming of forgotten bells
That the wind sways above a ruined shrine.

Vainer his voice in whom no longer dwells
Hunger that craves immortal Bread and Wine.

Light songs we breathe that perish with our breath
Out of our lips that have not kissed the rod.

They shall not live who have not tasted death.
They only sing who are struck dumb by God.

Citizen of the World
No longer of Him be it said

"He hath no place to lay His head."
In every land a constant lamp

Flames by His small and mighty camp.
There is no strange and distant place

That is not gladdened by His face.
And every nation kneels to hail

The Splendour shining through Its veil.
Cloistered beside the shouting street,

Silent, He calls me to His feet.
Imprisoned for His love of me

He makes my spirit greatly free.
And through my lips that uttered sin

The King of Glory enters in.
To a Blackbird and His Mate Who Died in the Spring

(For Kenton)
An iron hand has stilled the throats

That throbbed with loud and rhythmic glee
And dammed the flood of silver notes

That drenched the world in melody.
The blosmy apple boughs are yearning

For their wild choristers' returning,
But no swift wings flash through the tree.

Ye that were glad and fleet and strong,
Shall Silence take you in her net?

And shall Death quell that radiant song
Whose echo thrills the meadow yet?

Burst the frail web about you clinging
And charm Death's cruel heart with singing

Till with strange tears his eyes are wet.
The scented morning of the year

Is old and stale now ye are gone.
No friendly songs the children hear

Among the bushes on the lawn.
When babies wander out a-Maying

Will ye, their bards, afar be straying?
Unhymned by you, what is the dawn?

Nay, since ye loved ye cannot die.
Above the stars is set your nest.

Through Heaven's fields ye sing and fly
And in the trees of Heaven rest.

And little children in their dreaming
Shall see your soft black plumage gleaming

And smile, by your clear music blest.
The Fourth Shepherd

(For Thomas Walsh)
I

On nights like this the huddled sheep
Are like white clouds upon the grass,

And merry herdsmen guard their sleep
And chat and watch the big stars pass.

It is a pleasant thing to lie
Upon the meadow on the hill

With kindly fellowship near by
Of sheep and men of gentle will.

I lean upon my broken crook
And dream of sheep and grass and men --

O shameful eyes that cannot look
On any honest thing again!

On bloody feet I clambered down
And fled the wages of my sin,

I am the leavings of the town,
And meanly serve its meanest inn.

I tramp the courtyard stones in grief,
While sleep takes man and beast to her.

And every cloud is calling "Thief!"
And every star calls "Murderer!"

II
The hand of God is sure and strong,

Nor shall a man forever flee
The bitter punishment of wrong.

The wrath of God is over me!
With ashen bread and wine of tears

Shall I be solaced in my pain.
I wear through black and endless years

Upon my brow the mark of Cain.
III

Poor vagabond, so old and mild,
Will they not keep him for a night?

And She, a woman great with child,
So frail and pitiful and white.

Good people, since the tavern door
Is shut to you, come here instead.

See, I have cleansed my stable floor
And piled fresh hay to make a bed.

Here is some milk and oaten cake.
Lie down and sleep and rest you fair,

Nor fear, O simple folk, to take
The bounty of a child of care.

IV
On nights like this the huddled sheep --

I never saw a night so fair.
How huge the sky is, and how deep!

And how the planets flash and glare!
At dawn beside my drowsy flock

What winged music I have heard!
But now the clouds with singing rock

As if the sky were turning bird.
O blinding Light, O blinding Light!

Burn through my heart with sweetest pain.
O flaming Song, most loudly bright,

Consume away my deadly stain!
V

The stable glows against the sky,
And who are these that throng the way?

My three old comrades hasten by
And shining angels kneel and pray.

The door swings wide -- I cannot go --
I must and yet I dare not see.

Lord, who am I that I should know --
Lord, God, be merciful to me!

VI
O Whiteness, whiter than the fleece

Of new-washed sheep on April sod!
O Breath of Life, O Prince of Peace,

O Lamb of God, O Lamb of God!
Easter

The air is like a butterfly

• dwelling [´dweliŋ] n.住所；寓所 (初中英语单词)
• underneath [,ʌndə´ni:θ] ad.&prep.在底下 (初中英语单词)
• linger [´liŋgə] v.逗留；留恋；拖延 (初中英语单词)
• emperor [´empərə] n.皇帝 (初中英语单词)
• thrill [θril] v.震惊；激动；刺激 (初中英语单词)
• ignorance [´ignərəns] n.无知，愚昧 (初中英语单词)
• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)
• wisdom [´wizdəm] n.智慧，聪明，才智 (初中英语单词)
• lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)
• welcome [´welkəm] a.受欢迎的；可喜的 (初中英语单词)
• beggar [´begə] n.乞丐 (初中英语单词)
• helpless [´helpləs] a.无助的，无依靠的 (初中英语单词)
• purple [´pə:pl] n.紫色 a.紫(红)的 (初中英语单词)
• captive [´kæptiv] n.俘虏；捕获物 (初中英语单词)
• immortal [i´mɔ:təl] a.不死的n.不朽的人物 (初中英语单词)
• perish [´periʃ] v.灭亡；消灭；(使)死去 (初中英语单词)
• constant [´kɔnstənt] a.坚定的；坚贞的 (初中英语单词)
• meadow [´medəu] n.草地；牧场 (初中英语单词)
• wander [´wɔndə, ´wɑ:n:dər] v.徘徊；流浪 (初中英语单词)
• bloody [´blʌdi] a.(流)血的；血腥的 (初中英语单词)
• punishment [´pʌniʃmənt] n.罚，刑罚 (初中英语单词)
• stable [´steibəl] n.马棚 a.稳固的 (初中英语单词)
• winged [´wiŋd] a.有翼的 (初中英语单词)
• deadly [´dedli] a.致命的 ad.死一般地 (初中英语单词)
• hasten [´heisən] vt.催促；促进 vi.赶紧 (初中英语单词)
• breath [breθ] n.呼吸；气息 (初中英语单词)
• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)
• butterfly [´bʌtəflai] n.蝴蝶；蝶式 (初中英语单词)
• hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
• cleanse [klenz] vt.使清洁；净化 (高中英语单词)
• shrine [ʃrain] n.神龛；神殿；圣地 (高中英语单词)
• knight [nait] n.骑士；爵士 (高中英语单词)
• brightly [´braitli] ad.明亮地；聪明地 (高中英语单词)
• crowded [´kraudid] a.充(拥)满了的 (高中英语单词)
• bearing [´beəriŋ] n.举止；忍耐；关系 (高中英语单词)
• ragged [´rægid] a.衣服破烂的 (高中英语单词)
• throne [θrəun] n.宝座；王位 (高中英语单词)
• artillery [ɑ:´tiləri] n.炮兵部队 (高中英语单词)
• mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
• radiant [´reidiənt] a.发光的 n.光源(体) (高中英语单词)
• courtyard [´kɔ:tjɑ:d] n.院子，庭院 (高中英语单词)
• pitiful [´pitifəl] a.可怜的；慈悲的 (高中英语单词)
• tavern [´tævən] n.小酒馆；客栈 (高中英语单词)
• bounty [´baunti] n.慷慨；恩惠；赠物 (高中英语单词)
• drowsy [´drauzi] a.困倦的；催眠的 (高中英语单词)
• throng [θrɔŋ] n.群众 v.拥挤；群集 (高中英语单词)
• vagabond [´vægəbɔnd] n.流浪者 a.流浪的 (英语四级单词)
• plaything [´plei,θiŋ] n.玩具；玩物 (英语四级单词)
• blackbird [´blækbə:d] n.画眉，燕八哥 (英语四级单词)
• fellowship [´feləuʃip] n.团体；伙伴关系；友谊 (英语四级单词)
• shameful [´ʃeimfəl] a.可耻的；猥亵的 (英语四级单词)
• flaming [´fleimiŋ] a.熊熊燃烧的；热情的 (英语四级单词)
• vagrant [´veigrənt] n.流浪者 a.流浪的 (英语六级单词)
• cynical [´sinikəl] a.讥诮的；冷嘲的 (英语六级单词)
• plumage [´plu:midʒ] n.羽毛；漂亮衣服 (英语六级单词)
• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
• merciful [´mə:sifəl] a.仁慈的；宽大的 (英语六级单词)