I.
Love to Love calleth,
Love unto Love replieth:
From the ends of the earth, drawn by invisible bands,
Over the dawning and darkening lands,
Love cometh to Love;
To the pangs of desire;
To the heart by courage and might
Escaped from hell,
From the torment of raging fire,
From the sighs of the drowning main,
From shipwreck of fear and pain,
From the terror of night.
II.
All mankind by Love shall be banded
To combat Evil, the many-handed;
For the spirit of man on beauty feedeth,
The airy fancy he heedeth,
He regardeth Truth in the heavenly height,
In changeful pavilions of loveliness dight,
The sovran sun that knows not the night;
He loveth the beauty of earth,
And the sweet birds’ mirth;
And out of his heart there falleth
A melody-making river
Of passion, that runneth ever
To the ends of the earth and crieth,
That yearneth and calleth;
And Love from the heart of man
To the heart of man replieth:
On the wings of desire
Love cometh to Love.
VI.
I.
To me, to me, fair-hearted Goddess, come,
To Sorrow come,
Where by the grave I linger dumb;
With Sorrow bow thine head,
For all my beauty is dead.
Leave Freedom’s vaunt and playful thought awhile;
Come with thine unimpassioned smile
Of heavenly peace, and with thy fourfold choir
Of fair, uncloying harmony,
Unveil the palaces where man’s desire
Keepeth celestial solemnity.
II.
Lament, fair-hearted queen, lament with me;
For when thy seer died no song was sung,
Nor for our heroes fall’n by land or sea
Hath honor found a tongue,
Nor aught of beauty for their tomb can frame
Worthy their noble name.
Let Mirth go bare; make mute thy dancing string;
With thy majestic consolation
Sweeten our suffering.
Speak thou my woe, that from her pain
My spirit arise to see again
The Truth unknown that keeps our faith,
The Beauty unseen that bates our breath,
The heaven that doth our joy renew,
And drinketh up our tears as dew.