Rainbows (Custance)/The Fairy Prince
Songs of a Fairy Princess
The Fairy Prince
I
THE PRINCESS AT THE GATE
Prince, you are late!The princess watches for you at the gate:Looks down the long dull road with eager eyesAnd whispers softly, "Love, I wait . . . I wait."
Prince, is it wiseTo be so long in coming? for youth flies,And other men pass lightly on their wayAnd see a pretty princess there who sighs,
And one might say,"I am the prince you watch for every day,"Pale princess looking out with eyes like stars,"I love you, little princess, let me stay."
Behind her barsThe little princess grown too sad to play,Sits passionately whispering "I wait,"Oh, Lover, you are late."
II
THE COMING OF THE PRINCE
The Prince has come! shy princess, Oh, be wise,Kiss his sweet mouth, look deep into his eyes,And let your songs, like lutes tired hands left dumb,Learn all Love's language now the Prince has come.
The Prince is fair, proud princess, hold him fastWith slim white hands, each kiss may be the last. Joy is a flower whose petals fall apart,And fade too soon. Ah, hold him to your heart.
And this sweet Prince, who never will grow old,This boy with great blue eyes and hair like gold,Will lead you, little princess, by the handThrough all the gardens of his fairy land.
What though a sleepless dragon day and nightThe great world watches, jealous of delight,Strong Love shall stand with shining wings unfurledBetween you and the hatred of the world.
III
THE LETTER
They lit the fire and fairies cameTo dance in flying cloaks of flame.They drew the curtains and the dayEntered the room divine and gay,Still in her rainbow dawn disguise;With robe of rose and amethyst,And silver hood of morning mistDrawn down to hide her golden eyes.
And there was one came in with her,White-winged, a dainty messenger,A little page from Love's own court,And lovely news of you he brought, My fairy Prince so far away,So far away from fairy land,I find it hard to understandThat I shall see your face to-day.
The morning only waits for youTo make it perfect . . . how that blueUnclouded colour of the skiesReminds me of your great blue eyes,And that red rose-cup full of rainWakes dreams of your dear mouth, and thereThe light is golden like your hair.Oh, miracle of joy and pain,To hold you in my arms again!
IV
A SONG OF WELCOME
You know I love you, for my darkening eyesConfess it when our lips and lashes meet,My life is a long listening for your feet,Your coming is like sunshine to sad skies.
And when I see your face again life seemsLike this unclouded day that leads the hoursIn fair procession down a path of flowersTowards the folded doorways of our dreams.
V
FORGET-ME-NOTS
A song of forget-me-nots I sing!Forget-me-nots are my favourite flowers,Love, because they are like your eyes.Blue as the wild blue butterflies.They stare and dream through the singing hours,Under the turquoise and silver skies,Under the fickle skies of Spring.
They see the sky like a looking-glassThat waits for the beautiful face of Day,For the face of the Dawn is cold. Stare with eyes more yellow than goldWhen the noon sun sends the clouds away.And at twilight time, with gaze as bold,They watch the pomps of sunset pass.
And sleepless under the starlit skiesThey listen and look with their petals wide,For though the moon be lost for hours,(Hidden behind her high cloud towers)A brown bird sings by the river-side.Forget-me-nots are my favourite flowers,Love, because they are like your eyes.