Page:Tristram of Lyonesse and other poems (IA tristramoflyonesswinrich).pdf/104

 Desiring one divided from his sight, For whose lost sake dawn was as dawn of night And noon as night's noon in his eyes was dark. But in the halls far under sat King Mark, Feasting, and full of cheer, with heart uplift, As on the night that harper gat his gift: And music revelled on the fitful air, And songs came floated up the festal stair, And muffled roar of wassail, where the king Took heart from wine-cups and the quiring string Till all his cold thin veins rejoiced and ran Strong as with lifeblood of a kinglier man. But the queen shut from sound her wearied ears, Shut her sad eyes from sense of aught save tears, And wrung her hair with soft fierce hands, and prayed: 'O God, God born of woman, of a maid, Christ, once in flesh of thine own fashion clad; O very love, so glad in heaven and sad On earth for earth's sake alway; since thou art Pure only, I only impure of spirit and heart, Since thou for sin's sake and the bitter doom Didst as a veil put on a virgin's womb, I that am none, and cannot hear or see Or shadow or likeness or a sound of thee Far off, albeit with man's own speech and face Thou shine yet and thou speak yet, showing forth grace— Ah me! grace only shed on souls that are Lit and led forth of shadow by thy star—