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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=539827" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Princes' Quest - Part the First</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">There was a time, it passeth me to say<br>How long ago, but sure 'twas many a day<br>Before the world had gotten her such store<br>Of foolish wisdom as she hath,-before<br>She fell to waxing gray with weight of years<br>And knowledge, bitter knowledge, bought with tears,-<br>When it did seem as if the feet of time<br>Moved to the music of a golden rhyme,<br>And never one false thread might woven be<br>Athwart that web of worldwide melody.<br>'Twas then there lived a certain queen and king,<br>Unvext of wars or other evil thing,<br>Within a spacious palace builded high,<br>Whence they might see their chiefest city lie<br>About them, and half hear from their tall towers<br>Its populous murmur through the daylight hours,<br>And see beyond its walls the pleasant plain.<br>One child they had, these blissful royal twain:<br>Of whom 'tis told-so more than fair was he-<br>There lurked at whiles a something shadowy<br>Deep down within the fairness of his face;<br>As 'twere a hint of some not-earthly grace,<br>Making the royal stripling rather seem<br>The very dreaming offspring of a dream<br>Than human child of human ancestry:<br>And something strange-fantastical was he,<br>I doubt not. Howsoever he upgrew,<br>And after certain years to manhood drew<br>Nigh, so that all about his father's court,<br>Seeing his graciousness of princely port,<br>Rejoiced thereat; and many maidens' eyes<br>Look'd pleased upon his beauty, and the sighs<br>Of many told I know not what sweet tales.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So, like to some fair ship with sunlit sails,<br>Glided his youth amid a stormless sea,<br>Till once by night there came mysteriously<br>A fateful wind, and o'er an unknown deep<br>Bore him perforce. It chanced that while in sleep<br>He lay, there came to him a strange dim dream.<br>'Twas like as he did float adown a stream,<br>In a lone boat that had nor sail nor oar<br>Yet seemed as it would glide for evermore,<br>Deep in the bosom of a sultry land<br>Fair with all fairness. Upon either hand<br>Were hills green-browed and mist-engarlanded,<br>And all about their feet were woods bespread,<br>Hoarding the cool and leafy silentness<br>In many an unsunned hollow and hid recess.<br>Nought of unbeauteous might be there espied;<br>But in the heart of the deep woods and wide,<br>And in the heart of all, was Mystery-<br>A something more than outer eye might see,<br>A something more than ever ear might hear.<br>The very birds that came and sang anear<br>Did seem to syllable some faery tongue,<br>And, singing much, to hold yet more unsung.<br>And heard at whiles, with hollow wandering tone,<br>Far off, as by some aery huntsmen blown,<br>Faint-echoing horns, among the mountains wound,<br>Made all the live air tremulous with sound.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">So hour by hour (thus ran the Prince's dream)<br>Glided the boat along the broadening stream;<br>Till, being widowed of the sun her lord,<br>The purblind day went groping evenward:<br>Whereafter Sleep compelled to his mild yoke<br>The bubbling clear souls of the feathered folk,<br>Sealing the vital fountains of their song.<br>Howbeit the Prince went onward all night long<br>And never shade of languor came on him,<br>Nor any weariness his eyes made dim.<br>And so in season due he heard the breath<br>Of the brief winds that wake ere darkness' death<br>Sigh through the woods and all the valley wide:<br>The rushes by the water answering sighed:<br>Sighed all the river from its reedy throat.<br>And like a wingèd creature went the boat,<br>Over the errant water wandering free,<br>As some lone seabird over a lone sea.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And Morn pale-haired with watery wide eyes<br>Look'd up. And starting with a swift surprise,<br>Sprang to his feet the Prince, and forward leant,<br>His gaze on something right before him bent<br>That like a towered and templed city showed,<br>Afar off, dim with very light, and glowed<br>As burnished seas at sundawn when the waves<br>Make amber lightnings all in dim-roof'd caves<br>That fling mock-thunder back. Long leagues away,<br>Down by the river's green right bank it lay,<br>Set like a jewel in the golden morn:<br>But ever as the Prince was onward borne,<br>Nearer and nearer danced the dizzy fires<br>Of domes innumerable and sun-tipt spires<br>And many a sky-acquainted pinnacle,<br>Splendid beyond what mortal tongue may tell;<br>And ere the middle heat of day was spent,<br>He saw, by nearness thrice-magnificent,<br>Hardly a furlong's space before him lie<br>The City, sloping to the stream thereby.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And therewithal the boat of its own will<br>Close to the shore began to glide, until,<br>All of a sudden passing nigh to where<br>The glistering white feet of a marble stair<br>Ran to the rippled brink, the Prince outsprang<br>Upon the gleamy steps, and wellnigh sang<br>For joy, to be once more upon his feet,<br>Amid the green grass and the flowers sweet.<br>So on he paced along the river-marge,<br>And saw full many a fair and stately barge,<br>Adorned with strange device and imagery,<br>At anchor in the quiet waters lie.<br>And presently he came unto a gate<br>Of massy gold, that shone with splendid state<br>Of mystic hieroglyphs, and storied frieze<br>All overwrought with carven phantasies.<br>And in the shadow of the golden gate,<br>One in the habit of a porter sate,<br>And on the Prince with wondering eye looked he,<br>And greeted him with reverent courtesy,<br>Saying, 'Fair sir, thou art of mortal race,<br>The first hath ever journeyed to this place,-<br>For well I know thou art a stranger here,<br>As by the garb thou wearest doth appear;<br>And if thy raiment do belie thee not,<br>Thou should'st be some king's son. And well I wot,<br>If that be true was prophesied of yore,<br>A wondrous fortune is for thee in store;<br>For though I be not read in Doomful Writ,<br>Oft have I heard the wise expounding it,<br>And, of a truth, the fatal rolls declare</div><div style="margin:10px 0">That the first mortal who shall hither fare<br>Shall surely have our Maiden-Queen to wife,<br>And while the world lives shall they twain have life. <br>'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Hereat, be sure, the wonder-stricken youth,<br>Holden in doubt if this were lies or truth,<br>Was tongue-tied with amaze, and sore perplext,<br>Unknowing what strange thing might chance him next,<br>And ere he found fit words to make reply,<br>The porter bade a youth who stood hard by<br>Conduct the princely stranger, as was meet,<br>Through the great golden gate into the street,<br>And thence o'er all the city, wheresoe'er<br>Was aught to show of wonderful or fair.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">With that the Prince, beside his willing guide,<br>Went straightway through the gate, and stood inside<br>The wall, that, builded of a rare white stone,<br>Clasp'd all the city like a silver zone.<br>And thence down many a shining street they passed,<br>Each one appearing goodlier than the last,<br>Cool with the presence of innumerous trees<br>And fountains playing before palaces.<br>And whichsoever way the Prince might look,<br>Another marvel, and another, took<br>His wildered eyes with very wonderment.<br>And holding talk together as they went,<br>The Prince besought his guide to tell him why<br>Of all the many folk that passed them by<br>There was not one that had the looks of eld,<br>Or yet of life's mid-years; for they beheld<br>Only young men and maidens everywhere,<br>Nor ever saw they one that was not fair.<br>Whereat the stripling: 'Master, thou hast seen,<br>Belike, the river that doth flow between<br>Flowers and grasses at the city's feet?'<br>And when the Prince had rendered answer meet,<br>'Then,' said the other, 'know that whosoe'er<br>Drinks of the water thou beheldest there<br>(It matters not how many are his years)<br>Thenceforward from that moment he appears<br>Like as he was in youthly days, before<br>His passèd summers told beyond a score:<br>And so the people of this land possess<br>Unto all time their youth and comeliness.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Scarce had his mouth made answer when there rose<br>Somewhat of tumult, ruffling the repose<br>Of the wide splendid street; and lifting up<br>His eyes, the Prince beheld a glittering troop<br>Of horsemen, each upon a beauteous steed,<br>Toward them coming at a gentle speed.<br>And as the cavalcade came on apace,<br>A sudden pleasure lit the stripling's face<br>Who bore him company and was his guide;<br>And 'Lo, thou shalt behold our queen,' he cried,-<br>'Even the fairest of the many fair;<br>With whom was never maiden might compare<br>For very loveliness!' While yet he spake,<br>On all the air a silver sound 'gan break<br>Of jubilant and many-tongued acclaim,<br>And in a shining car the bright queen came,<br>And looking forth upon the multitude<br>Her eyes beheld the stranger where he stood,<br>And round about him was the loyal stir:<br>And all his soul went out in love to her.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">But even while her gaze met his, behold,<br>The city and its marvels manifold<br>Seemed suddenly removed far off, and placed<br>Somewhere in Twilight; and withal a waste<br>Of sudden waters lay like time between;<br>And over all that space he heard the queen<br>Calling unto him from her chariot;<br>And then came darkness. And the Dream was not.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=William+Watson">William Watson</a><div class=q>
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How long ago, but sure 'twas many a day
Before the world had gotten her such store
Of foolish wisdom as she hath,-before
She fell to waxing gray with weight of years
And knowledge, bitter knowledge, bought wi..."></div>
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