Lilith. The Legend Of The First Woman. Book II.

Soft stealing through the shade, and skirting swift     The walls of Paradise, through night's dark rift     Lilith fled far; nor stopped lest deadly snare     Or peril by the wayside lurked.     The air     Grew chill. Loud beat her heart, as through the wind     Echoed, unseen, pursuing feet, behind.     Adown the pathway of the mist she passed,     And reached a weird, strange land at last.     When morning flecked the dappled sky with red,     And odors sweet from waking flowers were shed,     Lilith beheld a plain, outstretching wide,     With distant mountains seamed.     Afar, a silvery tide     The blue shore kissed.    And in that tropic glow     Dim islands shone, palm-fringed, and low.     In nearer space, like scarlet arrows flew     Strange birds, or 'mong the reedy fens, or through     Tall trees, of unknown leafage, glancing, went.     Now Lilith seaward passed, and stooping, bent     Her hollowed hand above the wave, and quaffed;     For she was spent with wanderings wide.    Loud laughed     She then, beholding on that silent shore     Rare shells, that still faint in their pink lips bore     Wild ocean-songs; and precious stones, that bright     That dim sea's marge, deep in the land of night     Thick strewed.     Then glad, she lifted shining eyes,     Loud crying there, "O Lilith, now arise,     Great queen-triumphant! See how wildly fair     Before me lies my realm! And from its air     Soft, sensuous, new life as ruddy wine,     My spirit drinks. Nor beauty so divine     Hath Eden's self. Look, where upon the sands     The garish mosses spread with dainty hands,     Like goblin network fine, each fairy frond.     And dusky trees shut in broad fields beyond,     And hang long trembling garlands, age-grown-gray,     From topmost boughs adown, athwart the day;     And sweet amid these wilds, bright dewy bells     Ring summer chimes.    And soft in fragrant dells,     'Mong tender leaves, great spikes of scarlet flaunt     About the pools--the errant wild bees' haunt--     And thick with bramble-blooms pink petals starred,     And dew-stained buds of blue, the velvet sward.     Scarce ripple stirred the sea; and inland wend     Far bays and sedgy ponds; and rolling rivers bend.     A land of leaf and fruitage in the glow     Of palest glamours steeped. And far and low     Great purple isles; and further still a rim     Of sunset-tinted hills, that softly dim     Shine 'gainst the day. "O world, new found," she said,     "With treasures heaped and odors rare, 'mong flowers shed,     For whose dear sake I came o'er flinty ways,     And paths with danger fraught; 'mong brambly sprays,     With bleeding feet, and shoulders thorn-pierced deep.     But perils past, fade fast. And I will weep     My Eden lost no more." And sweet and low     As one who dreams, she said, "For now I know     These mountain heights, these level plains, are mine."     She ceased, and inland quickly turned. "Fair shine     Strange fruits thick-set, or blossoms lightly tossed     Low at my feet." Therewith, a dusk globe, crossed     With golden bands, from bent boughs, stripped she. Through     The gleaming sphere its nectrous juices drew,     And thirsting cried--as one grown drunken: "Mine     These fruits unknown, in thorny combs that shine,     Or gray-green spikes that glow, dull on the sands.     Fain would I pluck, out-reaching eager hands,     Save that a marvel grows of ruddier rind     Out-flinging fruity breath upon the wind,     Beneath harsh spines half-hid. Nor drains     My wilful spouse such nectars fine. Nor gains     His patient care the fruitage rare, these plains     That heaps unheeded. Nay, nor bearded grains     Golding this goodly land, where Lilith reigns."     So passed the glad years on, and o'er her home--     Its woods and mountains, its clear streams--to roam,     She loved. The inmost throb of Nature's heart     She felt amid the grass. Each daintiest part     Of Nature's work she knew; each gain, each loss.     And reverent watched on high the starry cross     Gleaming, mute symbol in that southern dome     Of One--the Promised One--of days to come.     The rifted sea-shell on the shingly beach     She scanned, pitying each inmate gone. Each     Named. 'Mong beetling crags, the sea-bird's home,     Light-footed, went. Or, idly, in the foam     Under the cocoa-palms, her fingers dipped,     Much marveling to see where featly slipped     Beneath the waves scaled creatures, crimson-dyed     Or luminous: Barred-yellow, purple pied,     Rose-tinted, opaline, or dight with stain,     Rich as the rainbow streaks, when through the rain     The Sun's kiss falls. Much wondered she when bright     By sedgy pools, flamingoes stalked. And light     The startled ostrich bent his headlong flight     O'er desert bare. And on the woody height     Trooped zebras, velvet-brown.    The date's green crest     Beneath, the peaceful camels lay at rest.     And slender-straight camelopards the boughs     Down-drew, the lush-green leaves thereon to browse.     Or oft 'mong oozy bogs, or through the fens,     Fearless she went, when low, 'mong reedy dens     The water-courses by, huge creatures slept,     Or in the jungles spotted panthers crept,     And in the thickets deadly serpents wound     Like blossomed wreaths, their coils upon the ground.     All forms of life she saw; with tenderest care     Uplifting humblest sprays, or blooms most rare.     Pierced the deep heart of Nature's subtlest lore,     Touched highest knowledge, probed the inmost core     Of hidden things. She tracked each circling world     And the wide sweep of billows lightly curled.     Each page the Master writ she read, close furled     In lotus blooms, or, 'mong the storm-clouds whirled;     Or traced, star-lettered, on the flaming scroll     The night unwinds toward the southern pole.     And sometimes wiling idle days, she wove     In quaint device, gems from her treasure-trove,     Rare garlanded, or set in flashing zone     Soft emerald, sapphire pale, and many a stone     Out-gleaming amethyst. Her yellow hair     Among, the glinting diamonds shone. And there     The sultry topaz burned. And laughing, twined     She round her bare white throat red rubies shrined     In pearls.     Or she among the haunts would rove     That sheltered island birds; or in the grove,     Or 'mong the rocky cliffs, where dainty nests     They fashioned swift. She scaled the seaward crests,     And on the sands piled turtle eggs, when all     About hoarse-shrieked the water-fowl, or call     Of plovers fell among the tangled glens,     Or lonely bitterns' boom came o'er the fens.     So traversed she her realm, when mangoes green     Baobabs by, showed freshest hues; and sheen     Of silver touched acacias slight; and lone     The solitary aloes, dreamed. The moan     Of that far sea against the shore brake soft.     And through that blossom-burdened land as oft     She roamed and far, sweet sped the passing days.     Till one dawned fairest, in whose noon-tide haze     Sweet slumbering she lay; and dreamed-steeped still,     Half conscious, caught the tinkle of a rill     In far-off Paradise. More silver clear     Across her thoughts, as once she loved to hear,     Rippled the waters, low against the stones     Where poised gemmed dragon-flies;    and sudden moans     Shook 'mong blue flags. Waked, vague unrest     And tender yearning rose within her breast,     And longing love, that she ne'er more might still.     When late upon her parting day smiled chill,     Pensive she gazed upon the darkling land,     With lingering feet o'er-passed the shining strand,     And silent sat on an o'erhanging ledge,     The sea o'erlooking. Far the horizon's edge     Athwart her gaze a rim of blue hills cleft,     Whereat she sighed. "So rose, ere I them left,     So smiled, the dim hills round my Eden home.     But I--wherefore recall, when far I roam,     Dreams vanished--gone? And now since long time dead     Is that fair past, I fain would lay it low     Where soft about it memories sweet may blow     As summer winds the fallen leaves among."     Then passed her tender thoughts, and loud and glad     As our morn wakens, strong that yesternight slept sad,     She sang. The song triumphant upward swelled,     Unsorrowed by soft dreams or thoughts of eld--     As fresh the full, free, mellow notes did rise     As the blithe skylark's strain, anear the skies:     High, high, bold Eagle, soar;     I watch thy flight, above thy craggd rock.     Below thee, torrents roar,     Down-bursting wild with angry shock     Upon the vales. O proud bird, free,     My spirit, mounting, follows thee,     Still follows thee, still follows thee.     O Sea--O Sea so wide!     Far roll thy waves ere yet they find thy shore.     I hear thy sullen tide     Break 'neath the beetling cliffs with muffled roar.     Afar, afar, O moaning Sea,     My roving soul still follows thee,     Still follows thee, still follows thee.     O Whirlwind black--O strong!     Thy scorching breath fierce burns the crouching land     And thou dost sweep along     The raveled clouds. O Whirlwind, see--     My spirit rising, follows thee,     Still follows thee, still follows thee.     Nay, nay! My dauntless soul,     Still higher than thy wing, O Eagle, soars,     And wider still than roll     Thy waves, and further than thy shores,     My spirit flees--O Sea--O Sea     No more it follows, follows thee.     Whirlwind, more strong than thou     My soul, that fearless leaps to thine embrace     And thy stern, wrinkled brow     Doth tender touch and soothingly,     And vassal art thou still to me,     That no more, Whirlwind, follows thee.     Swift changed her mood, and darkened in her face.     As sometimes in an open, sunny place     The sudden dusks o'er crinkling waters run,     So fell her thoughts to music. And as one     That grieves, she sang.    That lay--soft, weirdly clear,     The babbling waves made murmurous pause to hear:     Fair land (she sang), O sun-steeped realm of mine,     The Sun, thy lover, hath his farewell kiss.     I only pine     While dim stars shine.     Strong is thy Day-god! yet his parting kiss     Falls soft upon thy faltering lips. O land,     Thou hast a bliss     I ever miss.     Fast comes the night, and warm, for thy dear sake,     The shadows curtain dusk, thy lonely rest.     I only wake     My plaint to make.     Fair land, my lover cold, doth careless take     From my shut lips his flight. Here leaves me lone     My moan to make,     My heart to break.     She ceased. But still the song did float and fade,     As failing sunshine soft, in woodland glade.     And Lilith, listening, heard--so wild, so shrill,     Yet dream-like, far, again that tinkling rill     In Paradise. And o'er her spirit swept     A sadness bitter-sweet, as 'neath the green palms crept     The wind, low-sighing, faint. As from lone nest     A bird torn pinion lifts, striving to soar     To shelter safe, so, Edenward once more     Turned Lilith's drooping thoughts.     Uprose she then,     And brooding, homeward slowly went again.