Chamber Music, by James Joyce

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Prefatory Materials

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Chamber Music

by James Joyce

Contents: 

I

Strings in the earth and air
  Make music sweet;

II

The twilight turns from amethyst
  To deep and deeper blue,

III

At that hour when all things have repose,
  O lonely watcher of the skies,

IV

When the shy star goes forth in heaven
  All maidenly, disconsolate,

V

Lean out of the window,
  Goldenhair,

VI

I would in that sweet bosom be
  (O sweet it is and fair it is!)

VII

My love is in a light attire
  Among the apple-trees,

VIII

Who goes amid the green wood
  With springtide all adorning her?

IX

Winds of May, that dance on the sea,
  Dancing a ring-around in glee

X

Bright cap and streamers,
  He sings in the hollow: 

XI

Bid adieu, adieu, adieu,
  Bid adieu to girlish days,

XII

What counsel has the hooded moon
  Put in thy heart, my shyly sweet,

XIII

Go seek her out all courteously,
  And say I come,

XIV

My dove, my beautiful one,
  Arise, arise!

XV

From dewy dreams, my soul, arise,
  From love’s deep slumber and from death,

XVI

O cool is the valley now
  And there, love, will we go

XVII

Because your voice was at my side
  I gave him pain,

XVIII

O Sweetheart, hear you
  Your lover’s tale;

XIX

Be not sad because all men
  Prefer a lying clamour before you: 

XX

In the dark pine-wood
  I would we lay,

XXI

He who hath glory lost, nor hath
  Found any soul to fellow his,

XXII

Of that so sweet imprisonment
  My soul, dearest, is fain —­ —

XXIII

This heart that flutters near my heart
  My hope and all my riches is,

XXIV

Silently she’s combing,
  Combing her long hair

XXV

Lightly come or lightly go: 
  Though thy heart presage thee woe,

XXVI

Thou leanest to the shell of night,
  Dear lady, a divining ear.

XXVII

Though I thy Mithridates were,
  Framed to defy the poison-dart,

XXVIII

Gentle lady, do not sing
  Sad songs about the end of love;

XXIX

Dear heart, why will you use me so? 
  Dear eyes that gently me upbraid,

XXX

Love came to us in time gone by
  When one at twilight shyly played

XXXI

O, it was out by Donnycarney
  When the bat flew from tree to tree

XXXII

Rain has fallen all the day. 
  O come among the laden trees: 

XXXIII

Now, O now, in this brown land
  Where Love did so sweet music make

XXXIV

Sleep now, O sleep now,
  O you unquiet heart!

XXXV

All day I hear the noise of waters
  Making moan,

XXXVI

I hear an army charging upon the land,
  And the thunder of horses plunging, foam about their knees: 

Chamber Music

I


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