英语沙龙：A Haunting Music, Sole Perhaps and Lone（在线收听）

A Haunting Music, Sole Perhaps and Lone

A haunting music, sole perhaps and lone 

Supportress of the faery-roof, made moan 

Throughout, as fearful the whole charm might fade. 

Fresh carved cedar, mimicking a glade 

Of palm and plantain, met from either side, 

High in the midst, in honour of the bride: 

Two palms and then two plantains, and so on, 

From either side their stems branch’d one to one 

All down the aisled place; and beneath all 

There ran a stream of lamps straight on from wall to wall.

So canopied, lay an untasted feast 

Teeming with odours. Lamia, regal drest, 

Silently paced about, and as she went, 

In pale contented sort of discontent, 

Mission’d her viewless servants to enrich 

The fretted splendour of each nook and niche. 

Between the tree-stems, marbled plain at first, 

Came jasper pannels; then, anon, there burst 

Forth creeping imagery of slighter trees, 

And with the larger wove in small intricacies. 

Approving all, she faded at self-will, 

And shut the chamber up, close, hush’d and still, 

Complete and ready for the revels rude, 

When dreadful guests would come to spoil her solitude.

The day appear’d, and all the gossip rout. 

O senseless Lycius! Madman! wherefore flout 

The silent-blessing fate, warm cloister’d hours, 

And show to common eyes these secret bowers?