A LEGEND OF OLD PERSIA AND OTHER POEMS.

BY

A. B. S. TENNYSON.

LONDON: WILLIAM HEINEMANN. 1912.

TO

C. T.

Fantasies.

Altruism: A Legend of Old Persia: p. 3. The Enchanted Gipsy: p. 9. The Roof of the World: p. 11. The Poet and the Lily: p. 13. The Tramp: p. 15. The Black Dwarf: p. 23. To an Elephant: p. 24.

Songs.

The Palmer's Song: p. 27. The Song of the Old Men: p. 28. The Song of Snorro: p. 30. The Island: p. 32. Fair Filamelle: p. 34. The Song of Kisses: p. 35. The Song of Odysseus: p. 36.

Stories in Verse.

Adeimantus: p. 41. Pygmalion: p. 44. Alexis: p. 53. The King's Cloak: p. 56. The Knight and the Witch: p. 59. The Dreamer: p. 66.

Dialogues.

The Parting of Lancelot and Guinevere: p. 77. The Hermit and the Faun: p. 80. Love's Defiance: p. 85. The Playmates: p. 87.

Dramas.

June and November: p. 91. A Foolish Tragedy: p. 92. Alone: p. 94. The Wraith: p. 101. The Two Murderers: p. 102.

Reflections.

The Wind and the Hills: p. 107. The Happy Ones: p. 110. A Question: p. 112. The Earth: p. 113. Aspirations: p. 114. Romance: p. 115.

_Of the poems in this volume "Adeimantus" and "The Hermit and the Faun" first appeared in_ THE CONTEMPORARY REVIEW, _and "The Song of Snorro" in_ THE SPECTATOR. _They are republished here by kind permission of the Editors._

FANTASIES.

Altruism: A Legend of Old Persia.

In the flowery land of Persia Long ago, as poets tell, Where three rivers met together Did a happy people dwell. Never did these happy people Suffer sickness, plague, or dearth, Living in a golden climate In the fairest place on earth, Living thus thro' endless summers And half-summers hardly colder, Growing, tho' they hardly guessed it, Very gradually older.

I can very well imagine These old Persian lords and ladies Sitting in their pleasant gardens, Dreaming, dozing, where the shade is; Almond trees a mass of blossom, Roses, roses, red as wine, With the helmets of the tulips Flaming in a martial line, While beside a marble basin, With a fountain gushing forth, Stands a red-legged crane, alighted From the deserts of the North.

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: A Legend of Old Persia and Other Poems by Tennyson
• 2: Found Hasan his ancient person
• 3: The Curse of the Pool is on you
• 4: All bronzed and bearded was his face
• 5: He sang a song like a twanging bow
• 6: For Charicles has love and youth
• 7: Lord of the trunk and fan like ears
• 8: Now we sit like a circle of stones
• 9: Where the waves wore an azure mantle
• 10: Adeimantus For here is work to your hand
• 11: The magic heart of the woodland
• 12: VIII The statue stands above me
• 13: Approached by some dark palace stair
• 14: There was a King in Norroway Who loved a famous sport
• 15: Shall murmur all night long Thro' a casement open wide
• 16: And kiss there nevermore In flower drenched ecstasy
• 17: Till the sun became vaster and vaster
• 18: The season Of Demus hath passed
• 19: The Parting of Lancelot and Guinevere
• 20: Sithen is destroyed The flower of kings and knights
• 21: And smite both hip and thigh Your Satyrs
• 22: Then it was June and now it is November
• 23: So ended a foolish tragedy In the capital of Valladolid
• 24: Shivering fisherwife in your shawl
• 25: Tho' its voices were heard for a sign
• 26: For that Thou givest my soul some pride