Page:Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1900.djvu/963

Chirping none, the scarlet cicalas crouch'd in ranks:
  Slack the thistle-head piled its down-silk gray:
Scarce the stony lizard suck'd hollows in his flanks:
  Thick on spots of umbrage our drowsed flocks lay.
Sudden bow'd the chestnuts beneath a wind unheard,
  Lengthen'd ran the grasses, the sky grew slate:
Then amid a swift flight of wing'd seed white as curd,
  Clear of limb a Youth smote the master's gate.
            God! of whom music
            And song and blood are pure,
            The day is never darken'd
            That had thee here obscure.

Water, first of singers, o'er rocky mount and mead,
  First of earthly singers, the sun-loved rill,
Sang of him, and flooded the ripples on the reed,
  Seeking whom to waken and what ear fill.
Water, sweetest soother to kiss a wound and cool,
  Sweetest and divinest, the sky-born brook,
Chuckled, with a whimper, and made a mirror-pool
  Round the guest we welcomed, the strange hand shook.
            God! of whom music
            And song and blood are pure,
            The day is never darken'd
            That had thee here obscure.

Many swarms of wild bees descended on our fields:
  Stately stood the wheatstalk with head bent high:
Big of heart we labour'd at storing mighty yields,
  Wool and corn, and clusters to make men cry!
Hand-like rush'd the vintage; we strung the bellied skins
  Plump, and at the sealing the Youth's voice rose:
Maidens clung in circle, on little fists their chins;
  Gentle beasties through push'd a cold long nose.