Tristram Of Lyonesse - I - The Sailing Of The Swallow Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJ KGLLFMNNOOPPIIQQRRCC IIIISSTTIIIIIIIIQQQQ UUCCIICCVVQQWWXXIIYY ZZQQIICCA2A2B2B2OOOI IQQIIIIC2D2IIIIIIE2E 2F2F2A2A2IIIIIIA2A2I IA2A2YG2H2H2IIIISSYY QQI2J2UUIIAAQQK2K2L2 L2IIQQIITTM2M2IIA2A2 QN2IIIIM2M2IIXXXIIII IIIIQQIIQQQQO2O2QQII IIIIQQP2P2Q2R2IITTC2 C2S2S2IIIIIIQQYYIIQQ IIYYT2T2QQYYQQK2K2QQ I2I2U2V2W2W2IIX2X2TT YYIIQQQQIIY2Z2TTIIJJ WWIIA3B3G2G2A2A2C3D3 YYYYQQA2A2IIE3Z2QQF3 F3IIF3F3W2W2IIF3F3II IIA2A2IIQQF3F3QQI2I2 IICCIIQQIIIITYTYYTTQ Z2Z2A2A2QQIITTCCIIG3 G3QQIIF3F3QQIIA2A2TT EEIIEEE3E3A2A2IIQQII TTQQI2I2IIIII2I2E3E3 QQI2I2IIA2A2I2I2QQII JJIIQQYYIIA2A2IIQQE3 E3IIQQI2I2E3E3IIQQII YYF3F3CCQQIIIIYYQQII F3F3F3F3QQQQIIIIA2A2 CCIIYYA2A2I2I2CCI2I2 QQNNTCIIA2A2IIQQIIII G3G3QQIIYYYYE3E3E3E3 IIIIIIQQE3E3IIIIE3E3 A2A2YYQQIIIIJJE3E3TT IICCIIF3F3 IIIII A2A2IA2I A2A2IA2I IIIII E3E3IE3I TTITI IIF3F3E3E3E3E3E3E3II F3F3 QQIQI A2A2IA2I TTITI QQIQI YYIYI A2A2IA2I IIE3E3H3H3QQIIF3F3TT QQE3E3A2A2TTIIE3E3YY E3E3IITTE3E3E3E3TTF3 F3H3H3IIE3E3I2I2H3H3 QQE3E3IIE3E3IIIIA2A2 QQIIE3E3IIE3E3IIE3E3 E3E3YYE3E3CCQQIIIIF3 F3S2S2QQIIF3F3IIIIE3 E3CCIIF3F3E3E3TTIII2 I2I2I2H3H3IIYYYYE3E3 IIVVIIQQA2A2

About the middle music of the spring	A
Came from the castled shore of Ireland's king	A
A fair ship stoutly sailing eastward bound	B
And south by Wales and all its wonders round	B
To the loud rocks and ringing reaches home	C
That take the wild wrath of the Cornish foam	C
Past Lyonesse unswallowed of the tides	D
And high Carlion that now the steep sea hides	D
To the wind hollowed heights and gusty bays	E
Of sheer Tintagel fair with famous days	E
Above the stem a gilded swallow shone	F
Wrought with straight wings and eyes of glittering stone	F
As flying sunward oversea to bear	G
Green summer with it through the singing air	G
And on the deck between the rowers at dawn	H
As the bright sail with brightening wind was drawn	H
Sat with full face against the strengthening light	I
Iseult more fair than foam or dawn was white	I
Her gaze was glad past love's own singing of	J
And her face lovely past desire of love	J
Past thought and speech her maiden motions were	K
And a more golden sunrise was her hair	G
The very veil of her bright flesh was made	L
As of light woven and moonbeam coloured shade	L
More fine than moonbeams white her eyelids shone	F
As snow sun stricken that endures the sun	M
And through their curled and coloured clouds of deep	N
Luminous lashes thick as dreams in sleep	N
Shone as the sea's depth swallowing up the sky's	O
The springs of unimaginable eyes	O
As the wave's subtler emerald is pierced through	P
With the utmost heaven's inextricable blue	P
And both are woven and molten in one sleight	I
Of amorous colour and implicated light	I
Under the golden guard and gaze of noon	Q
So glowed their awless amorous plenilune	Q
Azure and gold and ardent grey made strange	R
With fiery difference and deep interchange	R
Inexplicable of glories multiform	C
Now as the sullen sapphire swells toward storm	C
Foamless their bitter beauty grew acold	I
And now afire with ardour of fine gold	I
Her flower soft lips were meek and passionate	I
For love upon them like a shadow sate	I
Patient a foreseen vision of sweet things	S
A dream with eyes fast shut and plumeless wings	S
That knew not what man's love or life should be	T
Nor had it sight nor heart to hope or see	T
What thing should come but childlike satisfied	I
Watched out its virgin vigil in soft pride	I
And unkissed expectation and the glad	I
Clear cheeks and throat and tender temples had	I
Such maiden heat as if a rose's blood	I
Beat in the live heart of a lily bud	I
Between the small round breasts a white way led	I
Heavenward and from slight foot to slender head	I
The whole fair body flower like swayed and shone	Q
Moving and what her light hand leant upon	Q
Grew blossom scented her warm arms began	Q
To round and ripen for delight of man	Q
That they should clasp and circle her fresh hands	U
Like regent lilies of reflowering lands	U
Whose vassal firstlings crown and star and plume	C
Bow down to the empire of that sovereign bloom	C
Shone sceptreless and from her face there went	I
A silent light as of a God content	I
Save when more swift and keen than love or shame	C
Some flash of blood light as the laugh of flame	C
Broke it with sudden beam and shining speech	V
As dream by dream shot through her eyes and each	V
Outshone the last that lightened and not one	Q
Showed her such things as should be borne and done	Q
Though hard against her shone the sunlike face	W
That in all change and wreck of time and place	W
Should be the star of her sweet living soul	X
Nor had love made it as his written scroll	X
For evil will and good to read in yet	I
But smooth and mighty without scar or fret	I
Fresh and high lifted was the helmless brow	Y
As the oak tree flower that tops the topmost bough	Y
Ere it drop off before the perfect leaf	Z
And nothing save his name he had of grief	Z
The name his mother dying as he was born	Q
Made out of sorrow in very sorrow's scorn	Q
And set it on him smiling in her sight	I
Tristram who now clothed with sweet youth and might	I
As a glad witness wore that bitter name	C
The second symbol of the world for fame	C
Famous and full of fortune was his youth	A2
Ere the beard's bloom had left his cheek unsmooth	A2
And in his face a lordship of strong joy	B2
And height of heart no chance could curb or cloy	B2
Lightened and all that warmed them at his eyes	O
Loved them as larks that kindle as they rise	O
Toward light they turn to music love the blue strong skies	O
So like the morning through the morning moved	I
Tristram a light to look on and be loved	I
Song sprang between his lips and hands and shone	Q
Singing and strengthened and sank down thereon	Q
As a bird settles to the second flight	I
Then from beneath his harping hands with might	I
Leapt and made way and had its fill and died	I
And all whose hearts were fed upon it sighed	I
Silent and in them all the fire of tears	C2
Burned as wine drunken not with lips but ears	D2
And gazing on his fervent hands that made	I
The might of music all their souls obeyed	I
With trembling strong subservience of delight	I
Full many a maid that had him once in sight	I
Thought in the secret rapture of her heart	I
In how dark onset had these hands borne part	I
How oft and were so young and sweet of skill	E2
And those red lips whereon the song burned still	E2
What words and cries of battle had they flung	F2
Athwart the swing and shriek of swords so young	F2
And eyes as glad as summer what strange youth	A2
Fed them so full of happy heart and truth	A2
That had seen sway from side to sundering side	I
The steel flow of that terrible springtide	I
That the moon rules not but the fire and light	I
Of men's hearts mixed in the mid mirth of fight	I
Therefore the joy and love of him they had	I
Made thought more amorous in them and more glad	I
For his fame's sake remembered and his youth	A2
Gave his fame flowerlike fragrance and soft growth	A2
As of a rose requickening when he stood	I
Fair in their eye a flower of faultless blood	I
And that sad queen to whom his life was death	A2
A rose plucked forth of summer in mid breath	A2
A star fall'n out of season in mid throe	Y
Of that life's joy that makes the star's life glow	G2
Made their love sadder toward him and more strong	H2
And in mid change of time and fight and song	H2
Chance cast him westward on the low sweet strand	I
Where songs are sung of the old green Irish land	I
And the sky loves it and the sea loves best	I
And as a bird is taken to man's breast	I
The sweet souled land where sorrow sweetest sings	S
Is wrapt round with them as with hands and wings	S
And taken to the sea's heart as a flower	Y
There in the luck and light of his good hour	Y
Came to the king's court like a noteless man	Q
Tristram and while some half a season ran	Q
Abode before him harping in his hall	I2
And taught sweet craft of new things musical	J2
To the dear maiden mouth and innocent hands	U
That for his sake are famous in all lands	U
Yet was not love between them for their fate	I
Lay wrapt in its appointed hour at wait	I
And had no flower to show yet and no sting	A
But once being vexed with some past wound the king	A
Bade give him comfort of sweet baths and then	Q
Should Iseult watch him as his handmaiden	Q
For his more honour in men's sight and ease	K2
The hurts he had with holy remedies	K2
Made by her mother's magic in strange hours	L2
Out of live roots and life compelling flowers	L2
And finding by the wound's shape in his side	I
This was the knight by whom their strength had died	I
And all their might in one man overthrown	Q
Had left their shame in sight of all men shown	Q
She would have slain him swordless with his sword	I
Yet seemed he to her so great and fair a lord	I
She heaved up hand and smote not then said he	T
Laughing 'What comfort shall this dead man be	T
Damsel what hurt is for my blood to heal	M2
But set your hand not near the tooth d steel	M2
Lest the fang strike it ' 'Yea the fang ' she said	I
'Should it not sting the very serpent dead	I
That stung mine uncle for his slayer art thou	A2
And half my mother's heart is bloodless now	A2
Through thee that mad'st the veins of all her kin	Q
Bleed in his wounds whose veins through thee ran thin '	N2
Yet thought she how their hot chief's violent heart	I
Had flung the fierce word forth upon their part	I
Which bade to battle the best knight that stood	I
On Arthur's and so dying of his wild mood	I
Had set upon his conqueror's flesh the seal	M2
Of his mishallowed and anointed steel	M2
Whereof the venom and enchanted might	I
Made the sign burn here branded in her sight	I
These things she stood recasting and her soul	X
Subsiding till its wound of wrath were whole	X
Grew smooth again as thought still softening stole	X
Through all its tempered passion nor might hate	I
Keep high the fire against him lit of late	I
But softly from his smiling sight she passed	I
And peace thereafter made between them fast	I
Made peace between two kingdoms when he went	I
Home with hands reconciled and heart content	I
To bring fair truce 'twixt Cornwall's wild bright strand	I
And the long wrangling wars of that loud land	I
And when full peace was struck betwixt them twain	Q
Forth must he fare by those green straits again	Q
And bring back Iseult for a plighted bride	I
And set to reign at Mark his uncle's side	I
So now with feast made and all triumphs done	Q
They sailed between the moonfall and the sun	Q
Under the spent stars eastward but the queen	Q
Out of wise heart and subtle love had seen	Q
Such things as might be dark as in a glass	O2
And lest some doom of these should come to pass	O2
Bethought her with her secret soul alone	Q
To work some charm for marriage unison	Q
And strike the heart of Iseult to her lord	I
With power compulsive more than stroke of sword	I
Therefore with marvellous herbs and spells she wrought	I
To win the very wonder of her thought	I
And brewed it with her secret hands and blest	I
And drew and gave out of her secret breast	I
To one her chosen and Iseult's handmaiden	Q
Brangwain and bade her hide from sight of men	Q
This marvel covered in a golden cup	P2
So covering in her heart the counsel up	P2
As in the gold the wondrous wine lay close	Q2
And when the last shout with the last cup rose	R2
About the bride and bridegroom bound to bed	I
Then should this one word of her will be said	I
To her new married maiden child that she	T
Should drink with Mark this draught in unity	T
And no lip touch it for her sake but theirs	C2
For with long love and consecrating prayers	C2
The wine was hallowed for their mouths to pledge	S2
And if a drop fell from the beaker's edge	S2
That drop should Iseult hold as dear as blood	I
Shed from her mother's heart to do her good	I
And having drunk they twain should be one heart	I
Who were one flesh till fleshly death should part	I
Death who parts all So Brangwain swore and kept	I
The hid thing by her while she waked or slept	I
And now they sat to see the sun again	Q
Whose light of eye had looked on no such twain	Q
Since Galahault in the rose time of the year	Y
Brought Launcelot first to sight of Guenevere	Y
And Tristram caught her changing eyes and said	I
As this day raises daylight from the dead	I
Might not this face the life of a dead man	Q
And Iseult gazing where the sea was wan	Q
Out of the sun's way said I pray you not	I
Praise me but tell me there in Camelot	I
Saving the queen who hath most name of fair	Y
I would I were a man and dwelling there	Y
That I might win me better praise than yours	T2
Even such as you have for your praise endures	T2
That with great deeds ye wring from mouths of men	Q
But ours for shame where is it Tell me then	Q
Since woman may not wear a better here	Y
Who of this praise hath most save Guenevere	Y
And Tristram lightening with a laugh held in	Q
Surely a little praise is this to win	Q
A poor praise and a little but of these	K2
Hapless whom love serves only with bowed knees	K2
Of such poor women fairer face hath none	Q
That lifts her eyes alive against the sun	Q
Than Arthur's sister whom the north seas call	I2
Mistress of isles so yet majestical	I2
Above the crowns on younger heads she moves	U2
Outlightening with her eyes our late born loves	V2
Ah said Iseult is she more tall than I	W2
Look I am tall and struck the mast hard by	W2
With utmost upward reach of her bright hand	I
And look fair lord now when I rise and stand	I
How high with feet unlifted I can touch	X2
Standing straight up could this queen do thus much	X2
Nay over tall she must be then like me	T
Less fair than lesser women May this be	T
That still she stands the second stateliest there	Y
So more than many so much younger fair	Y
She born when yet the king your lord was not	I
And has the third knight after Launcelot	I
And after you to serve her nay sir then	Q
God made her for a godlike sign to men	Q
Ay Tristram answered for a sign a sign	Q
Would God it were not for no planets shine	Q
With half such fearful forecast of men's fate	I
As a fair face so more unfortunate	I
Then with a smile that lit not on her brows	Y2
But moved upon her red mouth tremulous	Z2
Light as a sea bird's motion oversea	T
Yea quoth Iseult the happier hap for me	T
With no such face to bring men no such fate	I
Yet her might all we women born too late	I
Praise for good hap who so enskied above	J
Not more in age excels us than man's love	J
There came a glooming light on Tristram's face	W
Answering God keep you better in his grace	W
Than to sit down beside her in men's sight	I
For if men be not blind whom God gives light	I
And lie not in whose lips he bids truth live	A3
Great grief shall she be given and greater give	B3
For Merlin witnessed of her years ago	G2
That she should work woe and should suffer woe	G2
Beyond the race of women and in truth	A2
Her face a spell that knows nor age nor youth	A2
Like youth being soft and subtler eyed than age	C3
With lips that mock the doom her eyes presage	D3
Hath on it such a light of cloud and fire	Y
With charm and change of keen or dim desire	Y
And over all a fearless look of fear	Y
Hung like a veil across its changing cheer	Y
Made up of fierce foreknowledge and sharp scorn	Q
That it were better she had not been born	Q
For not love's self can help a face which hath	A2
Such insubmissive anguish of wan wrath	A2
Blind prescience and self contemptuous hate	I
Of her own soul and heavy footed fate	I
Writ broad upon its beauty none the less	E3
Its fire of bright and burning bitterness	Z2
Takes with as quick a flame the sense of men	Q
As any sunbeam nor is quenched again	Q
With any drop of dewfall yea I think	F3
No herb of force or blood compelling drink	F3
Would heal a heart that ever it made hot	I
Ay and men too that greatly love her not	I
Seeing the great love of her and Lamoracke	F3
Make no great marvel nor look strangely back	F3
When with his gaze about her she goes by	W2
Pale as a breathless and star quickening sky	W2
Between moonrise and sunset and moves out	I
Clothed with the passion of his eyes about	I
As night with all her stars yet night is black	F3
And she clothed warm with love of Lamoracke	F3
Girt with his worship as with girdling gold	I
Seems all at heart anhungered and acold	I
Seems sad at heart and loveless of the light	I
As night star clothed or naked is but night	I
And with her sweet eyes sunken and the mirth	A2
Dead in their look as earth lies dead in earth	A2
That reigned on earth and triumphed Iseult said	I
Is it her shame of something done and dead	I
Or fear of something to be born and done	Q
That so in her soul's eye puts out the sun	Q
And Tristram answered Surely as I think	F3
This gives her soul such bitterness to drink	F3
The sin born blind the sightless sin unknown	Q
Wrought when the summer in her blood was blown	Q
But scarce aflower and spring first flushed her will	I2
With bloom of dreams no fruitage should fulfil	I2
When out of vision and desire was wrought	I
The sudden sin that from the living thought	I
Leaps a live deed and dies not then there came	C
On that blind sin swift eyesight like a flame	C
Touching the dark to death and made her mad	I
With helpless knowledge that too late forbade	I
What was before the bidding and she knew	Q
How sore a life dead love should lead her through	Q
To what sure end how fearful and though yet	I
Nor with her blood nor tears her way be wet	I
And she look bravely with set face on fate	I
Yet she knows well the serpent hour at wait	I
Somewhere to sting and spare not ay and he	T
Arthur	Y
The king quoth Iseult suddenly	T
Doth the king too live so in sight of fear	Y
They say sin touches not a man so near	Y
As shame a woman yet he too should be	T
Part of the penance being more deep than she	T
Set in the sin	Q
Nay Tristram said for thus	Z2
It fell by wicked hap and hazardous	Z2
That wittingly he sinned no more than youth	A2
May sin and be assoiled of God and truth	A2
Repenting since in his first year of reign	Q
As he stood splendid with his foemen slain	Q
And light of new blown battles flushed and hot	I
With hope and life came greeting from King Lot	I
Out of his wind worn islands oversea	T
And homage to my king and fealty	T
Of those north seas wherein the strange shapes swim	C
As from his man and Arthur greeted him	C
As his good lord and courteously and bade	I
To his high feast who coming with him had	I
This Queen Morgause of Orkney his fair wife	G3
In the green middle Maytime of her life	G3
And scarce in April was our king's as then	Q
And goodliest was he of all flowering men	Q
And of what graft as yet himself knew not	I
But cold as rains in autumn was King Lot	I
And grey grown out of season so there sprang	F3
Swift love between them and all spring through sang	F3
Light in their joyous hearing for none knew	Q
The bitter bond of blood between them two	Q
Twain fathers but one mother till too late	I
The sacred mouth of Merlin set forth fate	I
And brake the secret seal on Arthur's birth	A2
And showed his ruin and his rule on earth	A2
Inextricable and light on lives to be	T
For surely though time slay us yet shall we	T
Have such high name and lordship of good days	E
As shall sustain us living and men's praise	E
Shall burn a beacon lit above us dead	I
And of the king how shall not this be said	I
When any of us from any mouth has praise	E
That such were men in only this king's days	E
In Arthur's yea come shine or shade no less	E3
His name shall be one name with knightliness	E3
His fame one light with sunlight Yet in sooth	A2
His age shall bear the burdens of his youth	A2
And bleed from his own bloodshed for indeed	I
Blind to him blind his sister brought forth seed	I
And of the child between them shall be born	Q
Destruction so shall God not suffer scorn	Q
Nor in men's souls and lives his law lie dead	I
And as one moved and marvelling Iseult said	I
Great pity it is and strange it seems to me	T
God could not do them so much right as we	T
Who slay not men for witless evil done	Q
And these the noblest under God's glad sun	Q
For sin they knew not he that knew shall slay	I2
And smite blind men for stumbling in fair day	I2
What good is it to God that such should die	I
Shall the sun's light grow sunnier in the sky	I
Because their light of spirit is clean put out	I
And sighing she looked from wave to cloud about	I
And even with that the full grown feet of day	I2
Sprang upright on the quivering water way	I2
And his face burned against her meeting face	E3
Most like a lover's thrilled with great love's grace	E3
Whose glance takes fire and gives the quick sea shone	Q
And shivered like spread wings of angels blown	Q
By the sun's breath before him and a low	I2
Sweet gale shook all the foam flowers of thin snow	I2
As into rainfall of sea roses shed	I
Leaf by wild leaf on that green garden bed	I
Which tempests till and sea winds turn and plough	A2
For rosy and fiery round the running prow	A2
Fluttered the flakes and feathers of the spray	I2
And bloomed like blossoms cast by God away	I2
To waste on the ardent water swift the moon	Q
Withered to westward as a face in swoon	Q
Death stricken by glad tidings and the height	I
Throbbed and the centre quivered with delight	I
And the depth quailed with passion as of love	J
Till like the heart of some new mated dove	J
Air light and wave seemed full of burning rest	I
With motion as of one God's beating breast	I
And her heart sprang in Iseult and she drew	Q
With all her spirit and life the sunrise through	Q
And through her lips the keen triumphant air	Y
Sea scented sweeter than land roses were	Y
And through her eyes the whole rejoicing east	I
Sun satisfied and all the heaven at feast	I
Spread for the morning and the imperious mirth	A2
Of wind and light that moved upon the earth	A2
Making the spring and all the fruitful might	I
And strong regeneration of delight	I
That swells the seedling leaf and sapling man	Q
Since the first life in the first world began	Q
To burn and burgeon through void limbs and veins	E3
And the first love with sharp sweet procreant pains	E3
To pierce and bring forth roses yea she felt	I
Through her own soul the sovereign morning melt	I
And all the sacred passion of the sun	Q
And as the young clouds flamed and were undone	Q
About him coming touched and burnt away	I2
In rosy ruin and yellow spoil of day	I2
The sweet veil of her body and corporal sense	E3
Felt the dawn also cleave it and incense	E3
With light from inward and with effluent heat	I
The kindling soul through fleshly hands and feet	I
And as the august great blossom of the dawn	Q
Burst and the full sun scarce from sea withdrawn	Q
Seemed on the fiery water a flower afloat	I
So as a fire the mighty morning smote	I
Throughout her and incensed with the influent hour	Y
Her whole soul's one great mystical red flower	Y
Burst and the bud of her sweet spirit broke	F3
Rose fashion and the strong spring at a stroke	F3
Thrilled and was cloven and from the full sheath came	C
The whole rose of the woman red as flame	C
And all her Mayday blood as from a swoon	Q
Flushed and May rose up in her and was June	Q
So for a space her heart as heavenward burned	I
Then with half summer in her eyes she turned	I
And on her lips was April yet and smiled	I
As though the spirit and sense unreconciled	I
Shrank laughing back and would not ere its hour	Y
Let life put forth the irrevocable flower	Y
And the soft speech between them grew again	Q
With questionings and records of what men	Q
Rose mightiest and what names for love or fight	I
Shone starriest overhead of queen or knight	I
There Tristram spake of many a noble thing	F3
High feast and storm of tournay round the king	F3
Strange quest by perilous lands of marsh and brake	F3
And circling woods branch knotted like a snake	F3
And places pale with sins that they had seen	Q
Where was no life of red fruit or of green	Q
But all was as a dead face wan and dun	Q
And bowers of evil builders whence the sun	Q
Turns silent and the moon holds hardly light	I
Above them through the sick and star crossed night	I
And of their hands through whom such holds lay waste	I
And all their strengths dishevelled and defaced	I
Fell ruinous and were not from north to south	A2
And of the might of Merlin's ancient mouth	A2
The son of no man's loins begot by doom	C
In speechless sleep out of a spotless womb	C
For sleeping among graves where none had rest	I
And ominous houses of dead bones unblest	I
Among the grey grass rough as old rent hair	Y
And wicked herbage whitening like despair	Y
And blown upon with blasts of dolorous breath	A2
From gaunt rare gaps and hollow doors of death	A2
A maid unspotted senseless of the spell	I2
Felt not about her breathe some thing of hell	I2
Whose child and hers was Merlin and to him	C
Great light from God gave sight of all things dim	C
And wisdom of all wondrous things to say	I2
What root should bear what fruit of night or day	I2
And sovereign speech and counsel higher than man	Q
Wherefore his youth like age was wise and wan	Q
And his age sorrowful and fain to sleep	N
Yet should sleep never neither laugh nor weep	N
Till in some depth of deep sweet land or sea	T
The heavenly hands of holier Nimue	C
That was the nurse of Launcelot and most sweet	I
Of all that move with magical soft feet	I
Among us being of lovelier blood and breath	A2
Should shut him in with sleep as kind as death	A2
For she could pass between the quick and dead	I
And of her love toward Pelleas for whose head	I
Love wounded and world wearied she had won	Q
A place beyond all pain in Avalon	Q
And of the fire that wasted afterward	I
The loveless eyes and bosom of Ettarde	I
In whose false love his faultless heart had burned	I
And now being rapt from her her lost heart yearned	I
To seek him and passed hungering out of life	G3
And after all the thunder hours of strife	G3
That roared between King Claudas and King Ban	Q
How Nimue's mighty nursling waxed to man	Q
And how from his first field such grace he got	I
That all men's hearts bowed down to Launcelot	I
And how the high prince Galahault held him dear	Y
And led him even to love of Guenevere	Y
And to that kiss which made break forth as fire	Y
The laugh that was the flower of his desire	Y
The laugh that lightened at her lips for bliss	E3
To win from Love so great a lover's kiss	E3
And of the toil of Balen all his days	E3
To reap but thorns for fruit and tears for praise	E3
Whose hap was evil as his heart was good	I
And all his works and ways by wold and wood	I
Led through much pain to one last labouring day	I
When blood for tears washed grief with life away	I
And of the kin of Arthur and their might	I
The misborn head of Mordred sad as night	I
With cold waste cheeks and eyes as keen as pain	Q
And the close angry lips of Agravaine	Q
And gracious Gawain scattering words as flowers	E3
The kindliest head of worldly paramours	E3
And the fair hand of Gareth found in fight	I
Strong as a sea beast's tushes and as white	I
And of the king's self glorious yet and glad	I
For all the toil and doubt of doom he had	I
Clothed with men's loves and full of kingly days	E3
Then Iseult said Let each knight have his praise	E3
And each good man good witness of his worth	A2
But when men laud the second name on earth	A2
Whom would they praise to have no worldly peer	Y
Save him whose love makes glorious Guenevere	Y
Nay Tristram said such man as he is none	Q
What said she there is none such under sun	Q
Of all the large earth's living yet I deemed	I
Men spake of one but maybe men that dreamed	I
Fools and tongue stricken witless babbler's breed	I
That for all high things was his peer indeed	I
Save this one highest to be so loved and love	J
And Tristram Little wit had these thereof	J
For there is none such in the world as this	E3
Ay upon land quoth Iseult none such is	E3
I doubt not nor where fighting folk may be	T
But were there none such between sky and sea	T
The world's whole worth were poorer than I wist	I
And Tristram took her flower white hand and kissed	I
Laughing and through his fair face as in shame	C
The light blood lightened Hear they no such name	C
She said and he If there be such a word	I
I wot the queen's poor harper hath not heard	I
Then as the fuller feathered hours grew long	F3
He holp to speed their warm slow feet with song	F3
	-
Love is it morning risen or night deceased	I
That makes the mirth of this triumphant east	I
Is it bliss given or bitterness put by	I
That makes most glad men's hearts at love's high feast	I
Grief smiles joy weeps that day should liveand die	I
	-
Is it with soul's thirst or with body's drouth	A2
That summer yearns out sunward to the south	A2
With all the flowers that when thy birth drew nigh	I
Were molten in one rose to make thy mouth	A2
O love what care though day should live and die	I
	-
Is the sun glad of all the love on earth	A2
The spirit and sense and work of things and worth	A2
Is the moon sad because the month must fly	I
And bring her death that can but bring back birth	A2
For all these things as day must live and die	I
	-
Love is it day that makes thee thy delight	I
Or thou that seest day made out of thy light	I
Love as the sun and sea are thou and I	I
Sea without sun dark sun without sea bright	I
The sun is one though day should live and die	I
	-
O which is elder night or light who knows	E3
And life or love which first of these twain grows	E3
For life is born of love to wail and cry	I
And love is born of life to heal his woes	E3
And light of night that day should live and die	I
	-
O sun of heaven above the worldly sea	T
O very love what light is this of thee	T
My sea of soul is deep as thou art high	I
But all thy light is shed through all of me	T
As love's through love while day shall live and die	I
	-
	-
Nay said Iseult your song is hard to read	I
Ay said he or too light a song to heed	I
Too slight to follow it may be Who shall sing	F3
Of love but as a churl before a king	F3
If by love's worth men rate his worthiness	E3
Yet as the poor churl's worth to sing is less	E3
Surely the more shall be the great king's grace	E3
To show for churlish love a kindlier face	E3
No churl she said but one in soothsayer's wise	E3
Who tells but truths that help no more than lies	E3
I have heard men sing of love a simpler way	I
Than these wrought riddles made of night and day	I
Like jewelled reins whereon the rhyme bells hang	F3
And Tristram smiled and changed his song and sang	F3
	-
The breath between my lips of lips not mine	Q
Like spirit in sense that makes pure sense divine	Q
Is as life in them from the living sky	I
That entering fills my heart with blood of thine	Q
And thee with me while day shall live and die	I
	-
Thy soul is shed into me with thy breath	A2
And in my heart each heartbeat of thee saith	A2
How in thy life the lifesprings of me lie	I
Even one life to be gathered of one death	A2
In me and thee though day may live and die	I
	-
Ah who knows now if in my veins it be	T
My blood that feels life sweet or blood of thee	T
And this thine eyesight kindled in mine eye	I
That shows me in thy flesh the soul of me	T
For thine made mine while day may live and die	I
	-
Ah who knows yet if one be twain or one	Q
And sunlight separable again from sun	Q
And I from thee with all my lifesprings dry	I
And thou from me with all thine heartbeats done	Q
Dead separate souls while day shall live and die	I
	-
I see my soul within thine eyes and hear	Y
My spirit in all thy pulses thrill with fear	Y
And in my lips the passion of thee sigh	I
And music of me made in mine own ear	Y
Am I not thou while day shall live and die	I
	-
Art thou not I as I thy love am thou	A2
So let all things pass from us we are now	A2
For all that was and will be who knows why	I
And all that is and is not who knows how	A2
Who knows God knows why day should live and die	I
	-
And Iseult mused and spake no word but sought	I
Through all the hushed ways of her tongueless thought	I
What face or covered likeness of a face	E3
In what veiled hour or dream determined place	E3
She seeing might take for love's face and believe	H3
This was the spirit to whom all spirits cleave	H3
For that sweet wonder of the twain made one	Q
And each one twain incorporate sun with sun	Q
Star with star molten soul with soul imbued	I
And all the soul's works all their multitude	I
Made one thought and one vision and one song	F3
Love this thing this laid hand on her so strong	F3
She could not choose but yearn till she should see	T
So went she musing down her thoughts but he	T
Sweet hearted as a bird that takes the sun	Q
With clear strong eyes and feels the glad god run	Q
Bright through his blood and wide rejoicing wings	E3
And opens all himself to heaven and sings	E3
Made her mind light and full of noble mirth	A2
With words and songs the gladdest grown on earth	A2
Till she was blithe and high of heart as he	T
So swam the Swallow through the springing sea	T
And while they sat at speech as at a feast	I
Came a light wind fast hardening forth of the east	I
And blackening till its might had marred the skies	E3
And the sea thrilled as with heart sundering sighs	E3
One after one drawn with each breath it drew	Y
And the green hardened into iron blue	Y
And the soft light went out of all its face	E3
Then Tristram girt him for an oarsman's place	E3
And took his oar and smote and toiled with might	I
In the east wind's full face and the strong sea's spite	I
Labouring and all the rowers rowed hard but he	T
More mightily than any wearier three	T
And Iseult watched him rowing with sinless eyes	E3
That loved him but in holy girlish wise	E3
For noble joy in his fair manliness	E3
And trust and tender wonder none the less	E3
She thought if God had given her grace to be	T
Man and make war on danger of earth and sea	T
Even such a man she would be for his stroke	F3
Was mightiest as the mightier water broke	F3
And in sheer measure like strong music drave	H3
Clean through the wet weight of the wallowing wave	H3
And as a tune before a great king played	I
For triumph was the tune their strong strokes made	I
And sped the ship through with smooth strife of oars	E3
Over the mid sea's grey foam paven floors	E3
For all the loud breach of the waves at will	I2
So for an hour they fought the storm out still	I2
And the shorn foam spun from the blades and high	H3
The keel sprang from the wave ridge and the sky	H3
Glared at them for a breath's space through the rain	Q
Then the bows with a sharp shock plunged again	Q
Down and the sea clashed on them and so rose	E3
The bright stem like one panting from swift blows	E3
And as a swimmer's joyous beaten head	I
Rears itself laughing so in that sharp stead	I
The light ship lifted her long quivering bows	E3
As might the man his buffeted strong brows	E3
Out of the wave breach for with one stroke yet	I
Went all men's oars together strongly set	I
As to loud music and with hearts uplift	I
They smote their strong way through the drench and drift	I
Till the keen hour had chafed itself to death	A2
And the east wind fell fitfully breath by breath	A2
Tired and across the thin and slackening rain	Q
Sprang the face southward of the sun again	Q
Then all they rested and were eased at heart	I
And Iseult rose up where she sat apart	I
And with her sweet soul deepening her deep eyes	E3
Cast the furs from her and subtle embroideries	E3
That wrapped her from the storming rain and spray	I
And shining like all April in one day	I
Hair face and throat dashed with the straying showers	E3
She stood the first of all the whole world's flowers	E3
And laughed on Tristram with her eyes and said	I
I too have heart then I was not afraid	I
And answering some light courteous word of grace	E3
He saw her clear face lighten on his face	E3
Unwittingly with unenamoured eyes	E3
For the last time A live man in such wise	E3
Looks in the deadly face of his fixed hour	Y
And laughs with lips wherein he hath no power	Y
To keep the life yet some five minutes' space	E3
So Tristram looked on Iseult face to face	E3
And knew not and she knew not The last time	C
The last that should be told in any rhyme	C
Heard anywhere on mouths of singing men	Q
That ever should sing praise of them again	Q
The last hour of their hurtless hearts at rest	I
The last that peace should touch them breast to breast	I
The last that sorrow far from them should sit	I
This last was with them and they knew not it	I
For Tristram being athirst with toil now spake	F3
Saying Iseult for all dear love's labour's sake	F3
Give me to drink and give me for a pledge	S2
The touch of four lips on the beaker's edge	S2
And Iseult sought and would not wake Brangwain	Q
Who slept as one half dead with fear and pain	Q
Being tender natured so with hushed light feet	I
Went Iseult round her with soft looks and sweet	I
Pitying her pain so sweet a spirited thing	F3
She was and daughter of a kindly king	F3
And spying what strange bright secret charge was kept	I
Fast in that maid's white bosom while she slept	I
She sought and drew the gold cup forth and smiled	I
Marvelling with such light wonder as a child	I
That hears of glad sad life in magic lands	E3
And bare it back to Tristram with pure hands	E3
Holding the love draught that should be for flame	C
To burn out of them fear and faith and shame	C
And lighten all their life up in men's sight	I
And make them sad for ever Then the knight	I
Bowed toward her and craved whence had she this strange thing	F3
That might be spoil of some dim Asian king	F3
By starlight stolen from some waste place of sands	E3
And a maid bore it here in harmless hands	E3
And Iseult laughing Other lords that be	T
Feast and their men feast after them but we	T
Our men must keep the best wine back to feast	I
Till they be full and we of all men least	I
Feed after them and fain to fare so well	I2
So with mine handmaid and your squire it fell	I2
That hid this bright thing from us in a wile	I2
And with light lips yet full of their swift smile	I2
And hands that wist not though they dug a grave	H3
Undid the hasps of gold and drank and gave	H3
And he drank after a deep glad kingly draught	I
And all their life changed in them for they quaffed	I
Death if it be death so to drink and fare	Y
As men who change and are what these twain were	Y
And shuddering with eyes full of fear and fire	Y
And heart stung with a serpentine desire	Y
He turned and saw the terror in her eyes	E3
That yearned upon him shining in such wise	E3
As a star midway in the midnight fixed	I
Their Galahault was the cup and she that mixed	I
Nor other hand there needed nor sweet speech	V
To lure their lips together each on each	V
Hung with strange eyes and hovered as a bird	I
Wounded and each mouth trembled for a word	I
Their heads neared and their hands were drawn in one	Q
And they saw dark though still the unsunken sun	Q
Far through fine rain shot fire into the south	A2
And their four lips became one burning mouth	A2

Algernon Charles Swinburne

Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation

<< Tristram Of Lyonesse - I - Prelude: Tristram And Iseult Poem Tristram Of Lyonesse - Ii - The Queen's Pleasance Poem>>

Write your comment about Tristram Of Lyonesse - I - The Sailing Of The Swallow poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne

Best Poems of Algernon Charles Swinburne

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 0 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Wonderful Women
by Umaru Kanneh Boima
Freedom To Scratch In Peace
by Olute Aete
Happy New Year
by Felix Menda
Human Beings
by Dana Graslie
Lust
by Wisdom Greatness
An Isolated Tree's Song
by Sayeed Abubakar
A Strange Boy
by Sayeed Abubakar
O Soil
by Sayeed Abubakar
No War, No War-monger
by Sayeed Abubakar
Night's Town
by Sayeed Abubakar

Popular Poets

1. Emily Dickinson(2414 poems)
2. Madison Julius Cawein(1231 poems)
3. Ella Wheeler Wilcox(1136 poems)
4. William Wordsworth(1016 poems)
5. Robert Burns(986 poems)
6. Edgar Albert Guest(945 poems)
7. Thomas Moore(849 poems)
8. Robert Service(831 poems)