| |
| CHIDHER, the ever youthful, told: | |
| I passed a city, bright to see. | |
| A man was culling fruits of gold; | |
| I asked him how old this town might be. | |
| He answered, culling as before: | 5 |
| “This town stood ever in days of yore, | |
| And will stand on forevermore!” | |
| Five hundred years from yonder day | |
| I passed again the self-same way, | |
| |
| And of the town I found no trace. | 10 |
| A shepherd blew on a reed instead; | |
| His herd was grazing on the place. | |
| “How long,” I asked, “is the city dead?” | |
| He answered, blowing as before: | |
| “The new crop grows the old one o’er; | 15 |
| This was my pasture evermore!” | |
| Five hundred years from yonder day | |
| I passed again the self-same way. | |
| |
| A sea I found; the tide was full, | |
| A sailor emptied nets with cheer; | 20 |
| And when he rested from his pull, | |
| I asked how long that sea were here. | |
| Then laughed he with a hearty roar: | |
| “As long as waves have washed this shore | |
| They fished here ever in days of yore.” | 25 |
| Five hundred years from yonder day | |
| I passed again the self-same way. | |
| |
| I found a forest settlement, | |
| And o’er his axe, a tree to fell, | |
| I saw a man in labour bent. | 30 |
| How old this wood I bade him tell. | |
| “’Tis everlasting; long before | |
| I lived, it stood in days of yore,” | |
| He quoth; “and shall grow evermore.” | |
| Five hundred years from yonder day | 35 |
| I passed again the self-same way. | |
| |
| I saw a town; the market-square | |
| Was swarming with a noisy throng. | |
| “How long,” I asked, “has this town been there? | |
| Where are wood and sea and shepherd’s song?” | 40 |
| I heard them cry among the roar: | |
| “This town was ever so before, | |
| And so will live forevermore.” | |
| Five hundred years from yonder day | |
| I want to pass the self-same way. | 45 |
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