Passion Flowers (Watson)/Earth and the Rain King
Earth and the Rain King.
In Time of Drouth.
Be pitiful, Sun, I languish and shrink from thy amorous gaze,While weary and drooping I'm watching his pennons of slow circling haze;For bliss of his presence I'm yearning; for balm of his touch I sigh.Oh! Sun, know I hate thy caresses; for kiss of his lips I die.I lift up my heart; is he coming? Say, cool, startled winds that creep outFrom your haunts in the forests, oh! answer; oh! answer, faint zephyrs, my doubt;And say, ye impalpable odors that steal to my hot, fevered brow,Do ye waft me a thought from my Lover, or herald his quick coming now? Hush! hush! he is coming, coming! be still, oh! my heart in thy place;Keep silence, his tread wakes the heavens, his voice stirs the measureless space.I know his step on the mountains, the torture of doubting is past,The current, electric, resistless is athrill through my soul at last.Oh! hilltops I feel that he's near me—oh! valleys arouse and rejoice;Oh! streamlet, sing softly thy carol and harken the tones of his voice;Oh! dumb, thirsting leaves, take comfort; and blossoms with mute, folded lips;Panting meadows, look up to the heavens, where are sailing his purple cloud-ships.
"I am coming, coming!" shouts grandly his trumpet athwart the black skies,As flash of his swift lightning glances awaken half echoed replies. He is coming! my king, now his love-call flies pulsing along the glad air;Oh! Sun, I can laugh at thy wooing—to be wantonly glad I dare.Oh! quivering leaflets and flowers; oh! broad, parching fields of grain;Oh! Valley, oh! Streamlet, awaken, our Rain-King is with us again.Down, down, pour his passionate kisses, he holds me enthralled in his power;Expectancy yields to fruition—I could die in this ecstatic hour.