IV

He stood alone within the spacious square
Declaiming from the central grassy mound.
With head uncovered and with streaming hair,
As if large multitudes were gathered round :
A stalwart shape, the gestures full of might,
The glances burning with unnatural light : —

As I came through the desert thus it was,
As I came through the desert : All was black,
In heaven no single star, on earth no track ;
A brooding hush without a stir or note,
The air so thick it clotted in my throat ;
And thus for hours ; then some enormous things
Swooped past with savage cries and clanking wings :
But I strode on austere ;
No hope could have no fear.

As I came through the desert thus it was,
As I came through the desert : Eyes of fire
Glared at me throbbing with a starved desire ;
The hoarse and heavy and carnivorous breath
Was hot upon me from deep jaws of death ;
Sharp claws, swift talons, fleshless fingers cold
Plucked at me from the bushes, tried to hold :
But I strode on austere ;
No hope could have no fear.

As I came through the desert thus it was.
As I came through the desert : Lo you, there,
That hillock burning with a brazen glare ;
Those myriad dusky flames with points aglow
Which writhed and hissed and darted to and fro ;
A Sabbath of the Serpents, heaped pell-mell
For Devil's roll-call and somefee of Hell :
Yet I strode on austere ;
No hope could have no fear.

As I came through the desert thus it was,
As I came through the desert : Meteors ran
And crossed their javelins on the black sky-span ;
The zenith opened to a gulf of flame,
The dreadful thunderbolts jarred earth's fixed frame ;
The ground all heaved in waves of fire that surged
And weltered round me sole there unsubmerged :
Yet I strode on austere ;
No hope could have no fear.

As I came through the desert thus it was,
As I came through the desert : Air once more,
And I was close upon a wild sea-shore ;
Enormous cliffs arose on either hand,
The deep tide thundered up a league-broad strand ;
White foambelts seethed there, wan spray swept and flew ;
The sky broke, moon and stars and clouds and blue :
And I strode on austere ;
No hope could have no fear.

As I came through the desert thus it was,
As I came through the desert : On the left
The sun arose and crowned a broad crag-cleft ;
There stopped and burned out black, except a rim,
A bleeding eyeless socket, red and dim ;
Whereon the moon fell suddenly south-west.
And stood above the right-hand cliffs at rest :
Still I strode on austere ;
No hope could have no fear.

As I came through the desert thus it was,
As I came through the desert : From the right
A shape came slowly with a ruddy light ;
A woman with a red lamp in her hand,
Bareheaded and barefooted on that strand ;
O desolation moving with such grace !
O anguish with such beauty in thy face !
I fell as on my bier,
Hope travailed with such fear.

As I came through the desert thus it was,
As I came through the desert : I was twain,
Two selves distinct that cannot join again ;
One stood apart and knew but could not stir.
And watched the other stark in swoon and her :
And she came on, and never turned aside,
Between such sun and moon and roaring tide :
And as she came more near
My soul grew mad with fear.

As I came through the desert thus it was.
As I came through the desert : Hell is mild
And piteous matched with that accursed wild ;
A large black sign was on her breast that bowed,
A broad black band ran down her snow-white shroud ;
That lamp she held was her own burning heart,
Whose blood-drops trickled step by step apart :
The mystery was clear ;
Mad rage had swallowed fear.

As I came through the desert thus it was.
As I came through the desert : By the sea
She knelt and bent above that senseless me ;
Those lamp-drops fell upon my white brow there,
She tried to cleanse them with her tears and hair ;
She murmured words of pity, love, and woe,
She hee'ded not the level rushing flow :
And mad wdth rage and fear,
I stood stonebound so near.

As I came through the desert thus it was,
As I came through the desert : When the tide
Swept up to her there kneehng by my side,
She clasped that corpse-Hke me, and they were borne
Away, and this vile me was left forlorn ;
I know the whole sea cannot quench that heart,
Or cleanse that brow, or wash those two apart :
They love; their doom is drear.
Yet they nor hope nor fear ;
But I, what do I here ?