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Alfred Lord Tennyson - Œnone
Work rating: Medium

.   There lies a vale in Ida, lovelier
    Than all the valleys of Ionian hills.
    The swimming vapour slopes athwart the glen,
    Puts forth an arm, and creeps from pine to pine,
    And loiters, slowly drawn. On either hand
    The lawns and meadow-ledges midway down
    Hang rich in flowers, and far below them roars
    The long brook falling thro` the clov`n ravine
    In cataract after cataract to the sea.
   Behind the valley topmost Gargarus
   Stands up and takes the morning: but in front
   The gorges, opening wide apart, reveal
   Troas and Ilion`s column`d citadel,
   The crown of Troas.         Hither came at noon
   Mournful Œnone, wandering forlorn
   Of Paris, once her playmate on the hills.
   Her cheek had lost the rose, and round her neck
   Floated her hair or seem`d to float in rest.
   She, leaning on a fragment twined with vine,
   Sang to the stillness, till the mountain-shade
   Sloped downward to her seat from the upper cliff.

   "O mother Ida, many-fountain`d Ida,
   Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
   For now the noonday quiet holds the hill:
   The grasshopper is silent in the grass:
   The lizard, with his shadow on the stone,
   Rests like a shadow, and the winds are dead.
   The purple flower droops: the golden bee
   Is lily-cradled: I alone awake.
   My eyes are full of tears, my heart of love,
   My heart is breaking, and my eyes are dim,
   And I am all aweary of my life.

   "O mother Ida, many-fountain`d Ida,
   Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
   Hear me, O Earth, hear me, O Hills, O Caves
   That house the cold crown`d snake! O mountain brooks,
   I am the daughter of a River-God,
   Hear me, for I will speak, and build up all
   My sorrow with my song, as yonder walls
   Rose slowly to a music slowly breathed,
   A cloud that gather`d shape: for it may be
   That, while I speak of it, a little while
   My heart may wander from its deeper woe.

       "O mother Ida, many-fountain`d Ida,
   Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
   I waited underneath the dawning hills,
   Aloft the mountain lawn was dewy-dark,
   And dewy-dark aloft the mountain pine:
   Beautiful Paris, evil-hearted Paris,
   Leading a jet-black goat white-horn`d, white-hooved,
   Came up from reedy Simois all alone.

       "O mother Ida, harken ere I die.
   Far-off the torrent call`d me from the cleft:
   Far up the solitary morning smote
   The streaks of virgin snow. With down-dropt eyes
   I sat alone: white-breasted like a star
   Fronting the dawn he moved; a leopard skin
   Droop`d from his shoulder, but his sunny hair
    Cluster`d about his temples like a God`s:
   And his cheek brighten`d as the foam-bow brightens
   When the wind blows the foam, and all my heart
   Went forth to embrace him coming ere he came.

       "Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
   He smiled, and opening out his milk-white palm
   Disclosed a fruit of pure Hesperian gold,
   That smelt ambrosially, and while I look`d
   And listen`d, the full-flowing river of speech
   Came down upon my heart.      `My own Œnone,
   Beautiful-brow`d Œnone, my own soul,
   Behold this fruit, whose gleaming rind ingrav`n
   "For the most fair," would seem to award it thine,
   As lovelier than whatever Oread haunt
   The knolls of Ida, loveliest in all grace
   Of movement, and the charm of married brows.`

       "Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
   He prest the blossom of his lips to mine,
   And added `This was cast upon the board,
   When all the full-faced presence of the Gods
   Ranged in the halls of Peleus; whereupon
   Rose feud, with question unto whom `twere due:
   But light-foot Iris brought it yester-eve,
   Delivering that to me, by common voice
   Elected umpire, Herè comes to-day,
   Pallas and Aphroditè, claiming each
   This meed of fairest. Thou, within the cave
   Behind yon whispering tuft of oldest pine,
   Mayst well behold them unbeheld, unheard
   Hear all, and see thy Paris judge of Gods.`

   "Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
   It was the deep midnoon: one silvery cloud
   Had lost his way between the piney sides
   Of this long glen. Then to the bower they came,
   Naked they came to that smooth-swarded bower,
   And at their feet the crocus brake like fire,
   Violet, amaracus, and asphodel,
   Lotos and lilies: and a wind arose,
   And overhead the wandering ivy and vine,
  This way and that, in many a wild festoon
  Ran riot, garlanding the gnarled boughs
  With bunch and berry and flower thro` and thro`.


     "O mother Ida, harken ere I die.
  On the tree-tops a crested peacock lit,
  And o`er him flow`d a golden cloud, and lean`d
  Upon him, slowly dropping fragrant dew.
  Then first I heard the voice of her, to whom
  Coming thro` Heaven, like a light that grows
  Larger and clearer, with one mind the Gods
  Rise up for reverence. She to Paris made
  Proffer of royal power, ample rule
  Unquestion`d, overflowing revenue
  Wherewith to embellish state, `from many a vale
  And river-sunder`d champaign clothed with corn,
  Or labour`d mine undrainable of ore.
  Honour,` she said, `and homage, tax and toll,
  From many an inland town and haven large,
  Mast-throng`d beneath her shadowing citadel
  In glassy bays among her tallest towers.`


     "O mother Ida, harken ere I die.
  Still she spake on and still she spake of power,
  `Which in all action is the end of all;
  Power fitted to the season; wisdom-bred
  And throned of wisdom—from all neighbour crowns
  Alliance and allegiance, till thy hand
  Fail from the sceptre-staff. Such boon from me,
  From me, Heaven`s Queen, Paris, to thee king-born,
  A shepherd all thy life but yet king-born,
  Should come most welcome, seeing men, in power
  Only, are likest Gods, who have attain`d
  Rest in a happy place and quiet seats
  Above the thunder, with undying bliss
  In knowledge of their own supremacy.`


     "Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
  She ceased, and Paris held the costly fruit
  Out at arm`s-length, so much the thought of power
  Flatter`d his spirit; but Pallas where she stood
  Somewhat apart, her clear and bared limbs
  O`erthwarted with the brazen-headed spear
  Upon her pearly shoulder leaning cold,
  The while, above, her full and earnest eye
  Over her snow-cold breast and angry cheek
  Kept watch, waiting decision, made reply.


     "`Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control,
  These three alone lead life to sovereign power.
  Yet not for power (power of herself
  Would come uncall`d for) but to live by law,
  Acting the law we live by without fear;
  And, because right is right, to follow right
  Were wisdom in the scorn of consequence.`


     "Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
  Again she said: `I woo thee not with gifts.
  Sequel of guerdon could not alter me
  To fairer. Judge thou me by what I am,
  So shalt thou find me fairest.          Yet, indeed,
  If gazing on divinity disrobed
  Thy mortal eyes are frail to judge of fair,
  Unbias`d by self-profit, oh! rest thee sure
  That I shall love thee well and cleave to thee,
  So that my vigour, wedded to thy blood,
  Shall strike within thy pulses, like a God`s,
  To push thee forward thro` a life of shocks,
  Dangers, and deeds, until endurance grow
  Sinew`d with action, and the full-grown will,
  Circled thro` all experiences, pure law,
  Commeasure perfect freedom.`          Here she ceas`d
  And Paris ponder`d, and I cried, `O Paris,
  Give it to Pallas!` but he heard me not,
  Or hearing would not hear me, woe is me!


     "O mother Ida, many-fountain`d Ida,
  Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
  Italian Aphroditè beautiful,
  Fresh as the foam, new-bathed in Paphian wells,
  With rosy slender fingers backward drew
  From her warm brows and bosom her deep hair
  Ambrosial, golden round her lucid throat
  And shoulder: from the violets her light foot
  Shone rosy-white, and o`er her rounded form
  Between the shadows of the vine-bunches
  Floated the glowing sunlights, as she moved.


     "Dear mother Ida, harken ere I die.
  She with a subtle smile in her mild eyes,
  The herald of her triumph, drawing nigh
  Half-whisper`d in his ear, `I promise thee
  The fairest and most loving wife in Greece.`
  She spoke and laugh`d: I shut my sight for fear:
  But when I look`d, Paris had raised his arm,
  And I beheld great Herè`s angry eyes,
  As she withdrew into the golden cloud,
  And I was left alone within the bower;
  And from that time to this I am alone,
  And I shall be alone until I die.


     "Yet, mother Ida, harken ere I die.
  Fairest—why fairest wife? am I not fair?
  My love hath told me so a thousand times.
  Methinks I must be fair, for yesterday,
  When I past by, a wild and wanton pard,
  Eyed like the evening star, with playful tail
  Crouch`d fawning in the weed. Most loving is she?
  Ah me, my mountain shepherd, that my arms
  Were wound about thee, and my hot lips prest
  Close, close to thine in that quick-falling dew
  Of fruitful kisses, thick as Autumn rains
  Flash in the pools of whirling Simois!


     "O mother, hear me yet before I die.
  They came, they cut away my tallest pines,
  My tall dark pines, that plumed the craggy ledge
  High over the blue gorge, and all between
  The snowy peak and snow-white cataract
  Foster`d the callow eaglet—from beneath
  Whose thick mysterious boughs in the dark morn
  The panther`s roar came muffled, while I sat 
  Low in the valley. Never, never more
  Shall lone Œnone see the morning mist
  Sweep thro` them; never see them overlaid
  With narrow moon-lit slips of silver cloud,
  Between the loud stream and the trembling stars.


     "O mother, hear me yet before I die.
  I wish that somewhere in the ruin`d folds,
  Among the fragments tumbled from the glens,
  Or the dry thickets, I could meet with her
  The Abominable, that uninvited came
  Into the fair Pele{:i}an banquet-hall,
  And cast the golden fruit upon the board,
  And bred this change; that I might speak my mind,
  And tell her to her face how much I hate
  Her presence, hated both of Gods and men.


     "O mother, hear me yet before I die.
  Hath he not sworn his love a thousand times,
  In this green valley, under this green hill,
  Ev`n on this hand, and sitting on this stone?
  Seal`d it with kisses? water`d it with tears?
  O happy tears, and how unlike to these!
  O happy Heaven, how canst thou see my face?
  O happy earth, how canst thou bear my weight?
  O death, death, death, thou ever-floating cloud,
  There are enough unhappy on this earth,
  Pass by the happy souls, that love to live:
  I pray thee, pass before my light of life,
  And shadow all my soul, that I may die.
  Thou weighest heavy on the heart within,
  Weigh heavy on my eyelids: let me die.


     "O mother, hear me yet before I die.
  I will not die alone, for fiery thoughts
  Do shape themselves within me, more and more,
  Whereof I catch the issue, as I hear
  Dead sounds at night come from the inmost hills,
  Like footsteps upon wool. I dimly see
  My far-off doubtful purpose, as a mother
  Conjectures of the features of her child
  Ere it is born: her child!—a shudder comes
  Across me: never child be born of me,
  Unblest, to vex me with his father`s eyes!


     "O mother, hear me yet before I die.
  Hear me, O earth. I will not die alone,
  Lest their shrill happy laughter come to me
  Walking the cold and starless road of death
  Uncomforted, leaving my ancient love
  With the Greek woman. I will rise and go
  Down into Troy, and ere the stars come forth
  Talk with the wild Cassandra, for she says
  A fire dances before her, and a sound
  Rings ever in her ears of armed men.
  What this may be I know not, but I know
  That, wheresoe`er I am by night and day,
  All earth and air seem only burning fire."
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