Sister Songs: An Offering to Two Sisters

Name: Sister Songs: An Offering to Two Sisters
Author: Francis Thompson

by Francis Thompson

Pages: about 30
Category: Literature & Fiction
Language: English
Reading time: 33 min at 250 wpm

Start readingThe whole book, as cards or one word at a time. 18 min at 450 wpm in Read mode.

From the opening

SHREWD winds and shrill—were these the speech of May? A ragged, slag-grey sky—invested so, Mary’s spoilt nursling! wert thou wont to go? Or thou, Sun-god and song-god, say Could singer pipe one tiniest linnet-lay, While Song did turn away his face from song? Or who could be In spirit or in body hale for long,— Old Æsculap’s best Master!—lacking thee? At length, then, thou art here! On the earth’s lethèd ear Thy voice of light rings out exultant, strong; Through dreams she stirs and murmurs at that summons dear: From its red leash my heart strains tamelessly, For Spring leaps in the womb of the young year! Nay, was it not brought forth before, And we waited, to behold it, Till the sun’s hand should unfold it, What the year’s young bosom bore? Even so; it came, nor knew we that it came, In the sun’s eclipse. Yet the birds have plighted vows, And from the branches pipe each other’s name; Yet the season all the boughs Has kindled to the finger-tips,— Mark yonder, how the long laburnum drips Its jocund spilth of fire, its honey of wild flame! Yea, and myself put on swift quickening, And answer to the presence of a sudden Spring. From cloud-zoned pinnacles of the secret spirit Song falls precipitant in dizzying streams; And, like a mountain-hold when war-shouts stir it, The mind’s recessèd fastness casts to light Its gleaming multitudes, that from every height Unfurl the flaming of a thousand dreams. Now therefore, thou who bring’st the year to birth, Who guid’st the bare and dabbled feet of May; Sweet stem to that rose Christ, who from the earth Suck’st our poor prayers, conveying them to Him; Be aidant, tender Lady, to my lay! Of thy two maidens somewhat must I say, Ere shadowy twilight lashes, drooping, dim Day’s dreamy eyes from us; Ere eve has struck and furled The beamy-textured tent transpicuous, Of webbèd coerule wrought and woven calms, Whence has paced forth the lambent-footed sun.

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Sister Songs: An Offering to Two Sisters

From the opening

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