55 “SWEET ADELAIS”

Had you lived when earth was new What had bards of old to do Save to sing in praise of you? Had you lived in ancient days, Adelais, sweet Adelais, You had all the ancients’ praise,— You whose beauty would have won Canticles of Solomon, Had the sage Judean king Gazed upon this goodliest thing Earth of Heaven’s grace hath got. Had you gladdened Greece, were not All the nymphs of Greece forgot? Had you trod Sicilian ways, Adelais, sweet Adelais, You had pilfered all their praise: Bion and Theocritus Had transmitted unto us Honeyed harmonies to tell Of your beauty’s miracle, Delicate, desirable, And their singing skill were bent You-ward tenderly,—content, While the world slipped by, to gaze On the grace of you, and praise Sweet Adelais. Had you lived in Roman times No Catullus in his rhymes Had lamented Lesbia’s sparrow! He had praised your forehead, narrow As the newly-crescent moon, White as apple-trees in June; He had made some amorous tune Of the laughing light Erôs Snared as Psychê-ward he goes By your beauty,—by your slim, White, perfect beauty. After him Horace, finding in your eyes Horace limned in lustrous wise, Would have made you melodies Fittingly to hymn your praise, Sweet Adelais. Had your father’s household been Guelfic-born or Ghibelline, Beatricê were unknown On her star-encompassed throne. For, had Dante viewed your grace, Adelais, sweet Adelais, You had reigned in Bicê’s place,— Had, for candles, Sirius, Rigel and Rutilicus, Whilst you heard Zacháriel Chant of you, and, chanting, tell All the grace of you, and praise Sweet Adelais. Had you lived when earth was new What had bards of old to do Save to sing in praise of you? They had sung of you always, Adelais, sweet Adelais, As worthiest of all men’s praise; Nor had undying melodies Wailed soft as love may sing of these Dream-hallowed names,—of Héloïse, Ysoude, Salomê, Semelê, Morgaine, Lucrece, Antiopê, Brunhilda, Helen, Mélusine, Penelopê, and Magdalene: —But you alone had all men’s praise, Sweet Adelais.