HAVE I played fellowship with night, to see br The allied armies break our gates at dawn br And let our general in ? By Bacchus, no ! br I have not left my stall, sir, I'm too poor br For lazy prentices to hand my wares,– br Such delicate chains, like amber linked with love ! br Such silvered pins, like hate to let love out !– br What know I ? But my Guidarello went br To the fountain of the coppersmiths, when first br The double cypress showed upon the east. br He's home, poor fool, hoarse as a moulting bird br From loud throat-loyalty. br 'The banners burn br Still in my soul,' he cries, 'as then in air. br The gray air, the gray houses, and the flowers, br The flowers, my father! Thyme and twisted sweets br From the blue hills I dream of, and thin bells br Of faery folds; pomegranates spun in flame, br Flame of red rose and golden, flame of sound br Blown from hot-throated trumpets, and the flame br Of her proud eyes !– br She rode beside the duke br In velvet coloured as a pansy is br And threaded round with gold. Her mantle strained br On the warm wind behind her, golden too, br Gold as the spires of lilies, and her hair br And her dark eyes were danced across with gold.' br Gold, gold, poor fool, and she was bought for gold, br A golden grief to ride at a duke's rein. br Eh well ! The great grow love-in-idleness br About their courts. Did Guidarello see br Our general too ? 'A little, tired old man, br Clad in worn sables with a silver star,' br He told me, 'fain to find his house and sleep.