| |
| WHAT then, what if my lips do burn, | |
| Husband, husband; | |
| What though thou see’st my red lips burn, | |
| Why look’st thou with a look so stern, | |
| Husband? | 5 |
| |
| It was the keen wind through the reed, | |
| Husband, husband: | |
| ’T was wind made sharp with sword-edge reed | |
| That made my tender lips to bleed, | |
| Husband. | 10 |
| |
| And hath the wind a human tooth, | |
| Woman, woman? | |
| Can light wind mark like human tooth | |
| A shameful scar of love uncouth, | |
| Woman? | 15 |
| |
| What horror lurks within your eyes, | |
| Husband, husband? | |
| What lurking horror strains your eyes, | |
| What black thoughts from your heart arise, | |
| Husband? | 20 |
| |
| Who stood beside you at the gate, | |
| Woman, woman? | |
| Who stood so near you by the gate | |
| No moon your shapes could separate, | |
| Woman? | 25 |
| |
| So God me save, ’t was I alone, | |
| Husband, husband! | |
| So Christ me save, ’t was I alone | |
| Stood listening to the ocean moan, | |
| Husband! | 30 |
| |
| Then hast thou four feet at the least, | |
| Woman, woman! | |
| Thy Christ hath lent thee four at least, | |
| Oh, viler than four-footed beast, | |
| Woman! | 35 |
| |
| A heathen witch hath thee unmanned, | |
| Husband, husband! | |
| A foul witchcraft, alas, unmanned: | |
| Thou saw’st some old tracks down the sand, | |
| Husband! | 40 |
| |
| Yet were they tracks that went not far, | |
| Woman, woman; | |
| Those ancient foot-marks went not far, | |
| Or else you search the harbor bar, | |
| Woman. | 45 |
| |
| It is not yours alone that bleed, | |
| Woman, woman; | |
| Smooth lips not yours may also bleed, | |
| Your wound has been avenged with speed, | |
| Woman! | 50 |
| |
| What talk you so of bar and wound, | |
| Husband, husband? | |
| What ghastly sign of sudden wound | |
| And kinsman smitten to the ground, | |
| Husband? | 55 |
| |
| I saw your blood upon his cheek, | |
| Woman, woman; | |
| The moon had marked his treacherous cheek, | |
| I marked his heart beside the creek, | |
| Woman! | 60 |
| |
| What, have you crushed the only flower, | |
| Husband, husband! | |
| Among our weeds the only flower? | |
| Henceforward get you from my bower, | |
| Husband! | 65 |
| |
| I love you not; I loved but him, | |
| Husband, husband! | |
| In all the world I loved but him; | |
| Not hell my love for Brenn shall dim, | |
| Husband! | 70 |
| |
| He ’s caught her by her jet-black hair; | |
| Sorrow, sorrow! | |
| He ’s bent her head back by the hair | |
| Till all her throbbing throat lies bare— | |
| Sorrow! | 75 |
| |
| You knew me fiercer than the wolf, | |
| Woman, woman; | |
| You knew I well am named the wolf; | |
| I shall both you and him engulf, | |
| Woman. | 80 |
| |
| Yet I to you was always kind, | |
| Woman, woman; | |
| To serpents only fools are kind; | |
| Yet still with love of you I ’m blind, | |
| Woman. | 85 |
| |
| I ’ll look no more upon your face, | |
| Woman, woman; | |
| These eyes shall never read your face, | |
| For you shall die in this small space, | |
| Woman! | 90 |
| |
| He ’s laid his mouth below her chin, | |
| Horror! | |
| That throat he kissed below the chin | |
| No breath thereafter entered in: | |
| Horror, horror! | 95 |
| |
