Hill-Fantasy

Sitteth by the red cairn a brown One, a
hoofed One,
High upon the mountain, where the grasses fail.
Where the ash-trees flourish far their blazing
Bunches to the sun,
A brown One, a hoofed One, pipes against the gale.
Up scrambled I then, furry fingers helping me.

I was on the mountain, wandering, wandering;
No one but the pine trees and the white birch knew.
Over rocks I scrambled, looked up and saw that
Strange Thing,
Peaked ears and sharp horns, pricked against the
blue.

Oh, and, how he piped there! piped upon the high
reeds
Till the blue air crackled like a frost-film on a pool!
Oh, and how he spread himself, like a child whom
no one heeds,
Tumbled chuckling in the brook, all sleek and kind
and cool!

He had berries 'twixt his horns, crimson-red as
cochineal.,
Bobbing, wagging wantonly they tickled him, and oh,
How his deft lips puckered round the reed,
seemed to chase and steal
Sky-music, earth-music, tree-music low!
I said "Good-day, Thou!" He said, "Good-day,
Thou!"
Wiped his reed against the spotted doe-skin on his back,
He said, "Come up here, and I will teach thee piping
now.
While the earth is singing so, for tunes we shall not
Lack."

Up scrambled I then, furry fingers helping me.
Up scrambled I. So we sat beside the cairn.
Broad into my face laughed that horned Thing so
Naughtily.
Oh, it was a rascal of a woodland Satyr's bairn!

'So blow, and so, Thou! Move thy fingers faster, look!
Move them like the little leaves and whirling midges.
So!
Soon `twill twist like tendrils and out-twinkle like
the lost brook.
Move thy fingers merrily, and blow! Blow! Blow!"

Brown One! Hoofed One! Beat time to keep me
Straight.
Kick it on the red stone, whistle in my ear.
Brush thy crimson berries in my face, then hold
Thy breath, for-wait!
Joy comes bubbling to me lips. I pipe, oh, hear!

Blue sky, art glad of us? Green wood, art glad of
us?
Old hard-heart mountain, dost thou hear me, how
I blow?
Far away the sea-isles swim in sun-haze luminous.
Each one has a color like the seven-splendor bow.


Wind, wind, wind, dost thou mind me how I pipe,
Now?
Chipmunk chatt'ring in the beech, rabbit in the
brake?
Furry arm around my neck: "Oh, Thou art a brave
one, Thou!"
Satyr, little satyr-friend, my heart with joy doth
ache !

Sky-music, earth-music, tree-music tremulous,
Water over steaming rocks, water in the shade,
Storm-tune and sun-tune, how they flock up unto us,
Sitting by the red cairn, gay and unafraid!

Brown One, Hoofed One, give me nimble hoofs,
Thou!
Give me furry fingers and a secret furry tail!
Pleasant are thy smooth horns: if their like were
on my brow
Might I not abide here, till the strong sun fail?

Oh, the sorry brown eyes! Oh, the soft kind hand-
touch,
Sudden brush of velvet ears across my wind-cool
cheek!
"Play-mate, Pipe-mate, thou askest one good boon
too much.
I could never find thee horns, though day-long
I seek.

"Yet, keep the pipe, Thou: I will cut another one.
Keep the pipe and play on it for all the world to hear.
Ah, but it was good once to sit together in the sun!
Though I have but half a soul, it finds thee very
dear!

"Wise Thing, Mortal Thing, yet my half-soul fears thee!
Take the pipe and go thy ways,—quick now, for
the sun
Reels across the hot west and stumbles dazzled to
the sea.
Take the pipe, and oh-one kiss! then run, run, run! run!"

Silence on the mountain. Lonely stands the high cairn,
All the leaves a-shivering, all the stones dead-gray.
O thou cold small pipe, which way is fled that
Satyr's bairn?
I am lost and all alone, and down drops the day.


I was on the mountain, wandering, wandering
There I got this Pipe o' dreams. Strange, when
I blow,
Something deep as human love starts a-crying,
troubling.
Is it only sky-music, earth-music low?