large/8934/worshipper_image_1410_librivox_64kb_mp3/worshipperimage_01_legallienne_64kb_113
large/8934/worshipper_image_1410_librivox_64kb_mp3/worshipperimage_01_legallienne_64kb
English
8934
— What means the colour of your eyes, Half innocent and all so wise, Blue as the smoke whose wavering line Curls upward from the sacred pyre Of sacrifice or holy death, Pale twisting wreaths of opal breath, From fire mounting into fire. WHAT MEANS THE COLOR OF YOUR EYES HALF INNOCENT AND ALL SO WISE BLUE AS THE SMOKE WHOSE WAVERING LINE CURLS UPWARD FROM THE SACRED PYRE OF SACRIFICE OR HOLY DEATH PALE TWISTING WREATHS OF OPAL BREATH FROM FIRE MOUNTING INTO FIRE
 NORTHERN SPHINX Antony had not written a poem to his wife since their little girl Wonder had been born, now some four years ago. Surely it was from no lack of love, this silence, but merely due to the working of what would seem to be a law of the artistic temperament: that to turn a muse into a wife, however long and faithfully loved, is to bid good-bye to the muse. But a day or two after the coming of Silencieux, Antony found himself suddenly inspired once more to sing of his wife. It was the best poem he had written for a long time, and when it was finished, he came down the wood impatient to read it to Beatrice. This was the poem, which he called "The Northern Sphinx":— Sphinx of the North, with subtler smile Than hers who in the yellow South, With make-believe mysterious mouth, Deepens the ennui of the Nile; And, with no secret left to tell, A worn and withered old coquette, Dreams sadly that she draws us yet, With antiquated charm and spell: Tell me your secret, Sphinx,—for mine! WOOD END OF CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE THE NORTHERN SPHINX ANTONY HAD NOT WRITTEN A POEM TO HIS WIFE SINCE HER LITTLE GIRL WONDER HAD BEEN BORN NOW SOME FOUR YEARS AGO SURELY IT WAS FROM NO LACK OF LOVE THE SILENCE BUT MERELY DUE TO THE WORKING OF WHAT WOULD SEEM TO BE A LAW OF THE ARTISTIC TEMPERAMENT THAT TO TURN A MUSE INTO A WIFE HOWEVER LONG AND FAITHFULLY LOVED IS TO BID GOOD BYE TO THE MUSE BUT A DAY OR TWO AFTER THE COMING OF SELAJO ANTONY FOUND HIMSELF SUDDENLY INSPIRED ONCE MORE TO SING OF HIS WIFE IT THE BEST POEM HE HAD WRITTEN FOR A LONG TIME AND WHEN IT WAS FINISHED HE CAME DOWN THE WOOD IMPATIENT TO READ IT TO BEATRICE THIS WAS THE POEM WHICH HE CALLED THE NORTHERN SPHINX SPHINX OF THE NORTH WITH SUTLER SMILE THAN HERS WHO IN THE YELLOW SOUTH WOULD MAKE BELIEVE MYSTERIOUS MOUTH DEEPENS THE ENNUI OF THE NILE AND WITH NO SECRET LEFT TO TELL A WORN AND WITHERED OLD COQUETTE DREAMS SADLY THAT SHE DRAWS US YET WITH ANTIQUATED CHARM AND SPELL TELL ME YOUR SECRET SPHINX FOR MINE
large/8934/worshipper_image_1410_librivox_64kb_mp3/worshipperimage_01_legallienne_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/8934/worshipper_image_1410_librivox_64kb_mp3/worshipperimage_01_legallienne_64kb.flac