Two Nations

Excerpt

JOSEPH MAZZINI

1867

Upon a windy night of stars that fell
  At the wind's spoken spell,
Swept with sharp strokes of agonizing light
  From the clear gulf of night,
Between the fixed and fallen glories one
  Against my vision shone,
More fair and fearful and divine than they
  That measure night and day,
And worthier worship; and within mine eyes
  The formless folded skies
Took shape and were unfolded like as flowers.
  And I beheld the hours
As maidens, and the days as labouring men,
  And the soft nights again
As wearied women to their own souls wed,
  And ages as the dead.
And over these living, and them that died,
  From one to the other side
A lordlier light than comes of earth or air
  Made the world's future fair.
A woman like to love in face, but not
  A thing of transient lot—
And like to hope, but having hold on truth—
  And like to joy or youth,
Save that upon the rock her feet were set—
  And like what men forget,
Faith, innocence, high thought, laborious peace—
  And yet like none of these,
Being not as these are mortal, but with eyes
  That sounded the deep skies
And clove like wings or arrows their clear way
  Through night and dawn and day—
So fair a presence over star and sun
  Stood, making these as one.
For in the shadow of her shape were all
  Darkened and held in thrall,
So mightier rose she past them; and I felt
  Whose form, whose likeness knelt
With covered hair and face and clasped her knees;
  And knew the first of these
Was Freedom, and the second Italy.
  And what sad words said she
For mine own grief I knew not, nor had heart
  Therewith to bear my part
And set my songs to sorrow; nor to hear
  How tear by sacred tear
Fell from her eyes as flowers or notes that fall
  In some slain feaster's hall
Where in mid music and melodious breath
  Men singing have seen death.
So fair, so lost, so sweet she knelt; or so
  In our lost eyes below
Seemed to us sorrowing; and her speech being said,
  Fell, as one who falls dead.
And for a little she too wept, who stood
  Above the dust and blood
And thrones and troubles of the world; then spake,
  As who bids dead men wake.
"Because the years were heavy on thy head;
  Because dead things are dead;
Because thy chosen on hill-side, city and plain
  Are shed as drops of rain;
Because all earth was black, all heaven was blind,
  And we cast out of mind;
Because men wept, saying Freedom, knowing of thee,
  Child, that thou wast not free;
Because wherever blood was not shame was
  Where thy pure foot did pass;
Because on Promethean rocks distent
  Thee fouler eagles rent;
Because a serpent stains with slime and foam
  This that is not thy Rome;
Child of my womb, whose limbs were made in me,
  Have I forgotten thee?
In all thy dreams through all these years on wing,
  Hast thou dreamed such a thing?
The mortal mother-bird outsoars her nest,
  The child outgrows the breast;
But suns as stars shall fall from heaven and cease,
  Ere we twain be as these;
Yea, utmost skies forget their utmost sun,
  Ere we twain be not one....