Piper at the Gates of Dawn

On either side of them As they glided onwards The rich meadow-grass Seemed that morning Of a freshness and a greenness Unsurpassable Never had they noticed The roses so vivid The willow-herb so riotous The meadow-sweet So odorous and pervading In midmost of the stream A small island lay Fringed close with willow And silver birch Reserved, shy, yet full of significance It hid whatever it might hold Behind a veil Keeping it till the hour should come And with the hour Those who were called and chosen Slowly but with no doubt or hesitation And in solemn expectancy The two animals passed Through the broken water And moored their boat At the margin of the island In silence they landed and pushed Through the blossom and undergrowth Till they stood on a little lawn of Marvelous green This is the place of my song-dream The place the music played to me Whispered the Rat Here in this holy place Here if anywhere Surely we shall find him Then suddenly the Mole felt A great awe fall upon him An awe that turned his muscles to water An awe that bowed his head And rooted his feet to the ground An awe that smote and held him And, without seeing He knew that some august Presence Was very, very near He turned to his friend And saw the Rat at his side Cowed, stricken and trembling Perhaps he would never have Dared to raise his eyes But the call and the summons Seemed dominant and imperious He could not refuse Trembling he obeyed And raised his humble head And then In that utter clearness of imminent dawn He looked in the very eyes Of the Friend and Helper Saw the backward sweep Of the curved horns Gleaming in the growing daylight Saw the stern, hooked nose Between kindly eyes Saw the bearded mouth Broken into a half-smile at the corners Saw the rippling muscles on the arm That lay across the broad chest The long supple hand Still holding the pipes Just fallen from the parted lips Saw the splendid curves Of the shaggy limbs Disposed in majestic ease on the sward Saw, last of all The magnificent hooves All this he saw For one moment breathless and intense Vivid on the morning sky And still, as he looked, he lived And still, as he lived, he wondered Rat! He found breath to whisper Are you afraid? Afraid? Murmured the Rat His eyes shining with unutterable love Afraid! Of Him o, never And yet, Mole, I am afraid Then the two animals Crouching to the earth Bowed their heads and did worship Sudden and magnificent The sun's broad golden disc Showed itself over the horizon And the first rays Took the animals full in the eyes And dazzled them When they were able to look once more The Vision had vanished And the air was full of the song of birds That hailed the dawn