Page:Poems Scudder.djvu/57

Above the portal. Backward swing
 The heavy doors, and then they see
 Stretched on a couch of ivory
In the room's midst a lovely thing—

A woman young and strangely fair;
 A robe of rosy tissue fine
 As water thinly mixed with wine
Scarce veiled her perfect body bare
Beneath their eyes. Her golden hair
 Unto her feet went rippling down
 Below a richly jewelled crown.
Her breast moved not, but rested there

A flower wrought of gems and this
 Was shapen like to those that be
 In hollow caves beneath the sea,
Of beauty weird and all amiss—
And when the king had lifted this
 Her long stilled blood began to flow,
 The breath fought in her throat, and lo,
Her red lips opened to his kiss.

So then, in triumph did he take
 Her to his home. But when she strove
 To answer his soft words of love
Sweet proffer of herself to make,
In voice hoarse from disuse she spake
 Words of a language strange, uncouth
 Such as was heard in the world's youth.
Then did the wise men for her sake

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