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The Sun-children:
BOYS and girls, come out to play! | |
| The sun is up, the wind’s astray, | |
| Early morning’s gold is gone— | |
| (They slumber on, they slumber on!) | |
| I have never done with you | 5 |
| Half the things I want to do. | |
| I will put kisses on your knees, | |
| And we will squander as we please | |
| This little, lazy, lovely day. | |
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| Ninety million miles away | 10 |
| The sun halloos: “Come out to play! | |
| The winds are prancing on tip-toe, | |
| Impatient with long waiting so; | |
| The hills look up. Come out! and oh, | |
| Let your bodies dart and run | 15 |
| While I make shadows!” says the sun. | |
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| Boys and girls, come out to play | |
| Before the river runs away. | |
| I have never done with you | |
| Half the things I want to do. | 20 |
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The Sun:
Boys and girls, come out to play | |
| Before the river runs away. | |
| While you are fluid, unafraid, | |
| Beneath my light and shadow skim, | |
| Before this folded gloom is dim | 25 |
| And limb no longer follows limb, | |
| Dancing under spotted shade. | |
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| For dancing were your bodies made! | |
| Before the roses of you fade | |
| Find your meaning for the mouth | 30 |
| While I lean south; while I go west | |
| Find your meaning for the rest. | |
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The Sun-child:
Throw back your head and fly with me— | |
| Love me, chase me, lie with me! | |
| Follow, sweetheart of the sun, | 35 |
| Turn and follow where I run | |
| Between blue vineyards and fruit-trees— | |
| Fall down and kiss me on the knees! | |
| Pant beside me while I pull | |
| Berries for you from the full | 40 |
| Blue-jewelled branches! Crush them red— | |
| Not on your mouth, on mine instead! | |
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The Sun:
Nimble you move—you are my own, | |
| My pliant essence. All alone | |
| On fire in the passive sky | 45 |
| I burn—a stone, a liquid stone. | |
| Together, you in double shade, | |
| Discover why your limbs were made. | |
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The Sun-child:
I have never done with you | |
| Half the things I want to do! | 50 |
| Link your arms and loosen them, | |
| Pluck and suck a grass’s stem, | |
| Touch my breasts with that blue aster; | |
| Kiss me fast—I’ll kiss you faster! | |
| Link your arms and loosen them. | 55 |
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| Now link your arms like mine together, | |
| Toward me lightly—like a feather | |
| Dance! Like feathers you’ll be blown | |
| Across the level field alone. | |
| And like a brown wing my bare feet | 60 |
| Will skim the meadow till we meet. | |
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| The river skips, but we are quicker: | |
| Its little body’s slender glisten | |
| Goes down alley-ways of leaves. | |
| Flicker, sun, and river, flicker! | 65 |
| Listen, lover, listen, listen | |
| How the river laughs and grieves! | |
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| I have never done with you | |
| Half the things I want to do. | |
| Leap for me, sweetheart—reach and try | 70 |
| To catch me, sweetheart! Kiss and cry | |
| After me, sweetheart, darting by! | |
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| After you seize me, we will lie, | |
| I in the grass, you in the sky; | |
| After you kiss me, we will start | 75 |
| To try and reach each other’s heart; | |
| And, searching frantically, find | |
| The unseen blisses of the blind. | |
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The Sun-children:
Before the river runs away, | |
| Boys and girls, come out to play. | 80 |
| (They slumber on, they slumber on— | |
| Morning’s glint is almost gone!) | |
| With yellow bubbles fill your veins | |
| Before the lusty day-star wanes. | |
| (They slumber on, they slumber on— | 85 |
| Silken leopard noon is gone!) | |
| Die you may, die you must— | |
| Fill your mouths with pollen dust; | |
| Calyxes and honey thighs | |
| Both will wither. Beauty dies! | 90 |
| Find out why mouths are berry-red | |
| Before you stiffen in your drab bed. | |
| Over you humming summer will glide, | |
| You’ll never lie languid on your side | |
| And listen then as you listen now | 95 |
| To half-heard melodies—oh, how | |
| The river runs and runs and runs, | |
| Fluid with splendor, and the sun’s | |
| Circuit is singing. Fragile day! | |
| Boys and girls, come out to play! | 100 |
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