Poems Volume I. Robert Louis Stevenson

Transcription

1 Poems Volume I

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3 Poems Volume I by Robert Louis Stevenson

4 Poems Volume I, by Robert Louis Stevenson This book in its current typographical format first published 2009 by Cambridge Scholars Publishing 12 Back Chapman Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 2XX, UK Prepared from the 1923 Tusitala (William Heinemann, Ltd. et al) edition British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library The copyright in this publication is in the public domain All rights for this book reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. ISBN (10): , ISBN (13):

5 CONTENTS A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES 1 DEDICATION 1 I. BED IN SUMMER 3 II. A THOUGHT 3 III. AT THE SEA-SIDE 4 IV. YOUNG NIGHT THOUGHT 4 V. WHOLE DUTY OF CHILDREN 5 VI. RAIN 5 VII. PIRATE STORY 5 VIII. FOREIGN LANDS 6 IX. WINDY NIGHTS 7 XI. SINGING 9 XII. LOOKING FORWARD 10 XIII. A GOOD PLAY 10 XIV. WHERE GO THE BOATS? 11 XV. AUNTIE'S SKIRTS 12 XVI. THE LAND OF COUNTERPANE 12 XVII. THE LAND OF NOD 13 XVIII. MY SHADOW 13 XIX. SYSTEM 14 XX. A GOOD BOY 15 XXI. ESCAPE AT BEDTIME 15 XXII. MARCHING SONG 16 XXIII. THE COW 17 XXIV. HAPPY THOUGHT 17

6 vi Robert Louis Stevenson XXV. THE WIND 18 XXVI. KEEPSAKE MILL 19 XXVII. GOOD AND BAD CHILDREN 20 XXVIII. FOREIGN CHILDREN 21 XXIX. THE SUN'S TRAVELS 22 XXX. THE LAMPLIGHTER 22 XXXI. MY BED IS A BOAT 23 XXXII. THE MOON 24 XXXIII. THE SWING 24 XXXIV. TIME TO RISE 25 XXXV. LOOKING-GLASS RIVER 25 XXXVI. FAIRY BREAD 26 XXXVII. FROM A RAILWAY CARRIAGE 27 XXXVIII. WINTER-TIME 28 XXXIX. THE HAYLOFT 29 XL. FAREWELL TO THE FARM 29 XLI. NORTH-WEST PASSAGE 30 THE CHILD ALONE 33 I. THE UNSEEN PLAYMATE 33 II. MY SHIP AND I 34 III. MY KINGDOM 35 IV. PICTURE-BOOKS IN WINTER 36 V. MY TREASURES 37 VI. BLOCK CITY 38 VII. THE LAND OF STORY-BOOKS 39 VIII. ARMIES IN THE FIRE 40 IX. THE LITTLE LAND 41

7 Poems Volume I vii GARDEN DAYS 44 I. NIGHT AND DAY 44 II. NEST EGGS 46 III. THE FLOWERS 47 IV. SUMMER SUN 48 V. THE DUMB SOLDIER 49 VI. AUTUMN FIRES 51 VII. THE GARDENER 51 VIII. HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS 52 ENVOYS 55 I. TO WILLIE AND HENRIETTA 55 II. TO MY MOTHER 56 III. TO AUNTIE 56 IV. TO MINNIE 56 V. TO MY NAME-CHILD 59 VI. TO ANY READER 60 UNDERWOODS 62 DEDICATION 62 BOOK I. IN ENGLISH 64 I. ENVOY 64 II. A SONG OF THE ROAD 64 III. THE CANOE SPEAKS 65 IV 67 V. THE HOUSE BEAUTIFUL 68 VI. A VISIT FROM THE SEA 70 VII. TO A GARDENER 71

8 viii Robert Louis Stevenson VIII. TO MINNIE (with a hand-glass) 72 IX. TO K. de M. 73 X. TO N. V. de G. S. 74 XI. TO WILL H. LOW 75 XII. TO MRS. WILL H. LOW 76 XIII. TO H. F. BROWN (written during a dangerous sickness) 77 XIV. TO ANDREW LANG 78 XVI. TO W. E. HENLEY 82 XVII. HENRY JAMES 83 XVIII. THE MIRROR SPEAKS 84 XIX. KATHARINE 85 XX. TO F. J. S. 86 XXI. REQUIEM 86 XXII. THE CELESTIAL SURGEON 87 XXIII. OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS 87 XXIV 90 XXV 92 XXVI. THE SICK CHILD 94 XXVII. IN MEMORIAM F. A. S. 95 XXVIII. TO MY FATHER 96 XXIX. IN THE STATES 97 XXX. A PORTRAIT 97 XXXI 98 XXXII. A CAMP 99 XXXIII. THE COUNTRY OF THE CAMISARDS 99 XXXIV. SKERRYVORE 99 XXXV. SKERRYVORE: the parallel 100

9 Poems Volume I ix XXXVI 100 XXXVII 101 XXXVIII 102 XXXIX. DEDICATORY POEM 103 BOOK II. IN SCOTS 105 NOTE 105 TABLE OF COMMON SCOTTISH VOWEL SOUNDS 106 I. THE MAKER TO POSTERITY 108 II. ILLE TERRARUM 110 III 113 IV. A MILE AN' A BITTOCK 114 V. A LOWDEN SABBATH MORN 115 VI. THE SPAEWIFE 121 VII. THE BLAST VIII. THE COUNTERBLAST IX. THE COUNTERBLAST IRONICAL 127 X. THEIR LAUREATE TO AN ACADEMY CLASS DINNER CLUB 128 XI. EMBRO HIE KIRK 131 XII. THE SCOTSMAN'S RETURN FROM ABROAD 133 XIII 137 XIV. MY CONSCIENCE 141 XV. TO DOCTOR JOHN BROWN 142 XVI 145 SONGS OF TRAVEL AND OTHER VERSES 147 I. THE VAGABOND (TO AN AIR OF SCHUBERT) 147 II. YOUTH AND LOVE: I. 148 III. YOUTH AND LOVE: II. 149

10 x Robert Louis Stevenson IV. THE UNFORGOTTEN: I. 150 V. THE UNFORGOTTEN: II. 150 VI 151 VII 151 VIII 153 IX 153 X 154 XI 155 XII. WE HAVE LOVED OF YORE (TO AN AIR OF DIABELLI) 155 XIII. DITTY (TO AN AIR FROM BACH) 157 XIV. MATER TRIUMPHANS 157 XV 158 XVI 159 XVII. (TO THE TUNE OF WANDERING WILLIE) 160 XVIII. TO DR. HAKE (ON RECEIVING A COPY OF VERSES) 161 XIX. TO 161 XX 163 XXI 163 XXII 163 XXIII. THE LOST OCCASION 164 XXIV. IF THIS WERE FAITH 164 XXV. MY WIFE 166 XXVI. WINTER 167 XXVII 167 XXVIII. TO AN ISLAND PRINCESS 168 XXIX. TO KALAKAUA (WITH THE GIFT OF A PEARL) 170 XXX. TO PRINCESS KAIULANI 171

11 Poems Volume I xi XXXI. TO MOTHER MARYANNE 171 XXXII. IN MEMORIAM, E. H. 172 XXXIII. TO MY WIFE (A FRAGMENT) 173 XXXIV. TO THE MUSE 174 XXXV. TO MY OLD FAMILIARS 175 XXXVI 176 XXXVII. TO S. C. 177 XXXVIII. THE HOUSE OF TEMBINOKA 179 XXXIX. THE WOODMAN 184 XL. TROPIC RAIN 189 XLI. AN END OF TRAVEL 190 XLII 190 XLIII. THE LAST SIGHT 191 XLIV 191 XLV. TO S. R. CROCKETT (IN REPLY TO A DEDICATION) 192 XLVI. EVENSONG 193 MORAL EMBLEMS 194 NOT I AND OTHER POEMS 194 NOT I MORAL EMBLEMS I I 197 II 198 III. A PEAK IN DARIEN 199 IV 200 V 201

12 xii Robert Louis Stevenson MORAL EMBLEMS II 202 I 202 II 203 III 204 IV 205 V 206 A MARTIAL ELEGY FOR SOME LEAD SOLDIERS 207 THE GRAVER AND THE PEN 208 I. PROEM 208 II. THE PRECARIOUS MILL 209 III. THE DISPUTATIOUS PINES 211 IV. THE TRAMPS 213 V. THE FOOLHARDY GEOGRAPHER 214 VI. THE ANGLER AND THE CLOWN 216 MORAL TALES 217 I. ROBIN AND BEN: OR, THE PIRATE AND THE APOTHECARY 217 II. THE BUILDER'S DOOM 225 NOTES 232

13 A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSES TO ALISON CUNNINGHAM FROM HER BOY For the long nights you lay awake And watched for my unworthy sake: For your most comfortable hand That led me through the uneven land: For all the story-books you read: For all the pains you comforted: For all you pitied, all you bore, In sad and happy days of yore: My second Mother, my first Wife, The angel of my infant life From the sick child, now well and old, Take, nurse, the little book you hold! And grant it, Heaven, that all who read May find as dear a nurse at need, And every child who lists my rhyme, In the bright, fireside, nursery clime, May hear it in as kind a voice As made my childish days rejoice! R.L.S.

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15 I. BED IN SUMMER In winter I get up at night And dress by yellow candle-light. In summer, quite the other way, I have to go to bed by day. I have to go to bed and see The birds still hopping on the tree, Or hear the grown-up people's feet Still going past me in the street. And does it not seem hard to you, When all the sky is clear and blue, And I should like so much to play, To have to go to bed by day? II. A THOUGHT It is very nice to think The world is full of meat and drink, With little children saying grace In every Christian kind of place.

16 4 Robert Louis Stevenson III. AT THE SEA-SIDE When I was down beside the sea, A wooden spade they gave to me To dig the sandy shore. My holes were empty like a cup, In every hole the sea came up, Till it could come no more. IV. YOUNG NIGHT THOUGHT All night long, and every night, When my mamma puts out the light, I see the people marching by, As plain as day, before my eye. Armies and emperors and kings, All carrying different kinds of things, And marching in so grand a way, You never saw the like by day. So fine a show was never seen At the great circus on the green; For every kind of beast and man Is marching in that caravan.

17 Poems Volume I 5 At first they move a little slow, But still the faster on they go, And still beside them close I keep Until we reach the town of Sleep. V. WHOLE DUTY OF CHILDREN A child should always say what's true, And speak when he is spoken to, And behave mannerly at table: At least as far as he is able. VI. RAIN The rain is raining all around, It falls on field and tree, It rains on the umbrellas here, And on the ships at sea. VII. PIRATE STORY Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing, Three of us aboard in the basket on the lea. Winds are in the air, they are blowing in the spring, And waves are on the meadows like the waves there are at sea.

18 6 Robert Louis Stevenson Where shall we adventure, to-day that we're afloat, Wary of the weather and steering by a star? Shall it be to Africa, a-steering of the boat, To Providence, or Babylon, or off to Malabar? Hi! but here's a squadron a-rowing on the sea Cattle on the meadow a-charging with a roar! Quick, and we'll escape them, they're as mad as they can be, The wicket is the harbour and the garden is the shore. VIII. FOREIGN LANDS Up into the cherry-tree Who should climb but little me? I held the trunk with both my hands And looked abroad on foreign lands. I saw the next-door garden lie, Adorned with flowers, before my eye, And many pleasant places more That I had never seen before. I saw the dimpling river pass And be the sky's blue looking-glass; The dusty roads go up and down With people tramping in to town.

19 Poems Volume I 7 If I could find a higher tree, Farther and farther I should see, To where the grown-up river slips Into the sea among the ships, To where the roads on either hand Lead onward into fairy land, Where all the children dine at five, And all the playthings come alive. IX. WINDY NIGHTS Whenever the moon and stars are set, Whenever the wind is high, All night long in the dark and wet, A man goes riding by. Late in the night when the fires are out, Why does he gallop and gallop about? Whenever the trees are crying aloud, And ships are tossed at sea, By, on the highway, low and loud, By at the gallop goes he. By at the gallop he goes, and then By he comes back at the gallop again.

20 8 Robert Louis Stevenson X. TRAVEL I should like to rise and go Where the golden apples grow; Where below another sky Parrot islands anchored lie, And, watched by cockatoos and goats, Lonely Crusoes building boats; Where in sunshine reaching out Eastern cities, miles about, Are with mosque and minaret Among sandy gardens set, And the rich goods from near and far Hang for sale in the bazaar; Where the Great Wall round China goes And on one side the desert blows, And with bell and voice and drum, Cities on the other hum; Where are forests, hot as fire, Wide as England, tall as a spire, Full of apes and cocoa-nuts And the negro hunters' huts; Where the knotty crocodile Lies and blinks in the Nile, And the red flamingo flies Hunting fish before his eyes; Where in jungles, near and far, Man-devouring tigers are,

21 Poems Volume I 9 Lying close and giving ear Lest the hunt be drawing near, Or a comer-by be seen Swinging in a palanquin; Where among the desert sands Some deserted city stands, All its children, sweep and prince, Grown to manhood ages since, Not a foot in street or house, Not a stir of child or mouse. And when kindly falls the night, In all the town no spark of light. There I'll come when I'm a man With a camel caravan; Light a fire in the gloom Of some dusty dining-room; See the pictures on the walls, Heroes, fights, and festivals; And in a corner find the toys Of the old Egyptian boys. XI. SINGING Of speckled eggs the birdie sings And nests among the trees; The sailor sings of ropes and things In ships upon the seas.

22 10 Robert Louis Stevenson The children sing in far Japan, The children sing in Spain; The organ with the organ man Is singing in the rain. XII. LOOKING FORWARD When I am grown to man's estate I shall be very proud and great, And tell the other girls and boys Not to meddle with my toys. XIII. A GOOD PLAY We built a ship upon the stairs All made of the back-bedroom chairs, And filled it full of sofa pillows To go a-sailing on the billows. We took a saw and several nails, And water in the nursery pails; And Tom said, "Let us also take An apple and a slice of cake;" Which was enough for Tom and me To go a-sailing on, till tea.

23 Poems Volume I 11 We sailed along for days and days, And had the very best of plays; But Tom fell out and hurt his knee, So there was no one left but me. XIV. WHERE GO THE BOATS? Dark brown is the river, Golden is the sand. It flows along for ever, With trees on either hand. Green leaves a-floating, Castles of the foam, Boats of mine a-boating Where will all come home? On goes the river And out past the mill, Away down the valley, Away down the hill. Away down the river, A hundred miles or more, Other little children Shall bring my boats ashore.

24 12 Robert Louis Stevenson XV. AUNTIE'S SKIRTS Whenever Auntie moves around, Her dresses make a curious sound; They trail behind her up the floor, And trundle after through the door. XVI. THE LAND OF COUNTERPANE When I was sick and lay a-bed, I had two pillows at my head, And all my toys beside me lay To keep me happy all the day. And sometimes for an hour or so I watched my leaden soldiers go, With different uniforms and drills, Among the bed-clothes, through the hills; And sometimes sent my ships in fleets All up and down among the sheets; Or brought my trees and houses out, And planted cities all about. I was the giant great and still That sits upon the pillow-hill, And sees before him, dale and plain, The pleasant land of counterpane.

25 Poems Volume I 13 XVII. THE LAND OF NOD From breakfast on all through the day At home among my friends I stay; But every night I go abroad Afar into the land of Nod. All by myself I have to go, With none to tell me what to do All alone beside the streams And up the mountain-sides of dreams. The strangest things are there for me, Both things to eat and things to see, And many frightening sights abroad Till morning in the land of Nod. Try as I like to find the way, I never can get back by day, Nor can remember plain and clear The curious music that I hear. XVIII. MY SHADOW I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head; And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

26 14 Robert Louis Stevenson The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow; For he sometimes shoots up taller like an india-rubber ball, And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all. He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play, And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way. He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see; I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me! One morning, very early, before the sun was up, I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup; But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head, Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed. XIX. SYSTEM Every night my prayers I say, And get my dinner every day; And every day that I've been good, I get an orange after food. The child that is not clean and neat, With lots of toys and things to eat, He is a naughty child, I'm sure Or else his dear papa is poor.

27 Poems Volume I 15 XX. A GOOD BOY I woke before the morning, I was happy all the day, I never said an ugly word, but smiled and stuck to play. And now at last the sun is going down behind the wood, And I am very happy, for I know that I've been good. My bed is waiting cool and fresh, with linen smooth and fair, And I must off to sleepsin-by, and not forget my prayer. I know that, till to-morrow I shall see the sun arise, No ugly dream shall fright my mind, no ugly sight my eyes. But slumber hold me tightly till I waken in the dawn, And hear the thrushes singing in the lilacs round the lawn. XXI. ESCAPE AT BEDTIME The lights from the parlour and kitchen shone out Through the blinds and the windows and bars; And high overhead and all moving about, There were thousands of millions of stars. There ne'er were such thousands of leaves on a tree, Nor of people in church or the Park, As the crowds of the stars that looked down upon me, And that glittered and winked in the dark.

28 16 Robert Louis Stevenson The Dog, and the Plough, and the Hunter, and all And the star of the sailor, and Mars, These shone in the sky, and the pail by the wall Would be half full of water and stars. They saw me at last, and they chased me with cries, And they soon had me packed into bed; But the glory kept shining and bright in my eyes, And the stars going round in my head. XXII. MARCHING SONG Bring the comb and play upon it! Marching, here we come! Willie cocks his Highland bonnet, Johnnie beats the drum. Mary Jane commands the party, Peter leads the rear; Feet in time, alert and hearty, Each a Grenadier! All in the most martial manner Marching double-quick; While the napkin like a banner Waves upon the stick!

29 Poems Volume I 17 Here's enough of fame and pillage, Great commander Jane! Now that we've been round the village, Let's go home again. XXIII. THE COW The friendly cow, all red and white, I love with all my heart: She gives me cream with all her might, To eat with apple-tart. She wanders lowing here and there, And yet she cannot stray, All in the pleasant open air, The pleasant light of day; And blown by all the winds that pass, And wet with all the showers, She walks among the meadow grass And eats the meadow flowers. XXIV. HAPPY THOUGHT The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings.

30 18 Robert Louis Stevenson XXV. THE WIND I saw you toss the kites on high And blow the birds about the sky; And all around I heard you pass, Like ladies' skirts across the grass O wind, a-blowing all day long, O wind, that sings so loud a song! I saw the different things you did, But always you yourself you hid. I felt you push, I heard you call, I could not see yourself at all O wind, a-blowing all day long, O wind, that sings so loud a song! O you that are so strong and cold, O blower, are you young or old? Are you a beast of field and tree, Or just a stronger child than me? O wind, a-blowing all day long, O wind, that sings so loud a song!