Page:The Poems and Prose remains of Arthur Hugh Clough, volume 2 (1869).djvu/86

 My dreams are double, O my father, good And evil. Terror to my soul by night, And agony by day, when Abel stands A dead, black shade, and speaks not, neither looks, Nor makes me any answer when I cry— Curse me, but let me know thou art alive. But comfort also, like a whisper, comes, In visions of a deeper sleep, when he, Abel, as him we knew, yours once and mine, Comes with a free forgiveness in his face, Seeming to speak, solicitous for words, And wearing ere he go the old, first look Of unsuspecting, unforeboding love. Three nights are gone I saw him thus, my Sire.

Dear ones of Lamech, listen to my speech.

For Adam said, Three nights ago to me Came Abel, in my sleep, as thou hast said, And spake, and bade, Arise, my father, go Where in the land of exile dwells thy son; Say to my brother, Abel bids thee come, Abel would have thee; and lay thou thy hand, My father, on his head, that he may come; Am I not weary, father, for this hour? Hear ye my voice, Adah and Zillah, hear; Children of Lamech, listen to my speech: And, son of Zillah, sound thy solemn string.

For Adam laid upon the head of Cain His hand, and Cain bowed down, and slept, and died. And a deep sleep on Adam also fell, And, in his slumber's deepest, he beheld, Standing before the gate of Paradise, With Abel, hand in hand, our father Cain.