WhenLilacsLastintheDoor.docx

WhenLilacsLastintheDoor.docx

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WhenLilacsLastintheDoor

When-Lilacs-Last-in-the-Door

WhenLilacsLastintheDoor-yardBloom’d

WaltWhitman, 1819 - 1892

1

Whenlilacslastinthedoor-yardbloom’d,

Andthegreatstarearlydroop’dinthewesternskyinthenight,

Imourn’d—andyetshallmournwithever-returningspring.

Oever-returningspring!

trinitysuretomeyoubring;

Lilacbloomingperennial,anddroopingstarinthewest,

AndthoughtofhimIlove.

2

Opowerful,western,fallenstar!

Oshadesofnight!

Omoody,tearfulnight!

Ogreatstardisappear’d!

Otheblackmurkthathidesthestar!

Ocruelhandsthatholdmepowerless!

Ohelplesssoulofme!

Oharshsurroundingcloud,thatwillnotfreemysoul!

3

Inthedoor-yardfrontinganoldfarm-house,nearthewhite-wash’d

palings,

Standsthelilacbush,tall-growing,withheart-shapedleavesofrich

green,

Withmanyapointedblossom,rising,delicate,withtheperfume

strongIlove,

Witheveryleafamiracle......andfromthisbushinthedoor-yard,

Withdelicate-color’dblossoms,andheart-shapedleavesofrich

green,

Asprig,withitsflower,Ibreak.

4

Intheswamp,insecludedrecesses,

Ashyandhiddenbirdiswarblingasong.

Solitary,thethrush,

Thehermit,withdrawntohimself,avoidingthesettlements,

Singsbyhimselfasong.

Songofthebleedingthroat!

Death’soutletsongoflife—（forwell,dearbrother,Iknow

Ifthouwastnotgiftedtosing,thouwould’stsurelydie.）

5

Overthebreastofthespring,theland,amidcities,

Amidlanes,andthrougholdwoods,（wherelatelythevioletspeep’d

fromtheground,spottingthegraydebris;）

Amidthegrassinthefieldseachsideofthelanes—passingthe

endlessgrass;

Passingtheyellow-spear’dwheat,everygrainfromitsshroudinthe

dark-brownfieldsuprising;

Passingtheapple-treeblowsofwhiteandpinkintheorchards;

Carryingacorpsetowhereitshallrestinthegrave,

Nightanddayjourneysacoffin.

6

Coffinthatpassesthroughlanesandstreets,

Throughdayandnight,withthegreatclouddarkeningtheland,

Withthepompoftheinloop’dflags,withthecitiesdrapedinblack,

WiththeshowoftheStatesthemselves,asofcrape-veil’dwomen,

standing,

Withprocessionslongandwinding,andtheflambeausofthenight,

Withthecountlesstorcheslit—withthesilentseaoffaces,

andtheunbaredheads,

Withthewaitingdepot,thearrivingcoffin,andthesombrefaces,

Withdirgesthroughthenight,withthethousandvoicesrisingstrong

andsolemn;

Withallthemournfulvoicesofthedirges,pour’daroundthecoffin,

Thedim-litchurchesandtheshudderingorgans—Whereamidthese

youjourney,

Withthetolling,tollingbells’perpetualclang;

Here!

coffinthatslowlypasses,

Igiveyoumysprigoflilac.

7

（Norforyou,forone,alone;

BlossomsandbranchesgreentocoffinsallIbring:

Forfreshasthemorning—thuswouldIcarolasongforyou,O

saneandsacreddeath.

Alloverbouquetsofroses,

Odeath!

Icoveryouoverwithrosesandearlylilies;

Butmostlyandnowthelilacthatbloomsthefirst,

Copious,Ibreak,Ibreakthesprigsfromthebushes;

WithloadedarmsIcome,pouringforyou,

Foryou,andthecoffinsallofyou,Odeath.）

8

Owesternorb,sailingtheheaven!

NowIknowwhatyoumusthavemeant,asamonthsincewewalk’d,

Aswewalk’dupanddowninthedarkbluesomystic,

Aswewalk’dinsilencethetransparentshadowynight,

AsIsawyouhadsomethingtotell,asyoubenttomenightafter

night,

Asyoudroop’dfromtheskylowdown,asiftomyside,（whilethe

otherstarsalllook’don;）

Aswewander’dtogetherthesolemnnight,（forsomething,Iknownot

what,keptmefromsleep;）

Asthenightadvanced,andIsawontherimofthewest,ereyou

went,howfullyouwereofwoe;

AsIstoodontherisinggroundinthebreeze,inthecold

transparentnight,

AsIwatch’dwhereyoupass’dandwaslostinthenetherwardblackof

thenight,

Asmysoul,initstrouble,dissatisfied,sank,aswhereyou,sad

orb,

Concluded,droptinthenight,andwasgone.

9

Singon,thereintheswamp!

Osingerbashfulandtender!

Ihearyournotes—Ihearyour

call;

Ihear—Icomepresently—Iunderstandyou;

ButamomentIlinger—forthelustrousstarhasdetain’dme;

Thestar,mydepartingcomrade,holdsanddetainsme.

10

OhowshallIwarblemyselfforthedeadonethereIloved?

AndhowshallIdeckmysongforthelargesweetsoulthathasgone?

Andwhatshallmyperfumebe,forthegraveofhimIlove?

Sea-winds,blownfromeastandwest,

Blownfromtheeasternsea,andblownfromthewesternsea,tillthereon

theprairiesmeeting:

These,andwiththese,andthebreathofmychant,

IperfumethegraveofhimIlove.

11

OwhatshallIhangonthechamberwalls?

AndwhatshallthepicturesbethatIhangonthewalls,

Toadorntheburial-houseofhimIlove?

Picturesofgrowingspring,andfarms,andhomes,

WiththeFourth-montheveatsundown,andthegraysmokelucidand

bright,

Withfloodsoftheyellowgoldofthegorgeous,indolent,sinking

sun,burning,expandingtheair;

Withthefreshsweetherbageunderfoot,andthepalegreenleavesof

thetreesprolific;

Inthedistancetheflowingglaze,thebreastoftheriver,witha

wind-dapplehereandthere;

Withranginghillsonthebanks,withmanyalineagainstthesky,

andshadows;

Andthecityathand,withdwellingssodense,andstacksof

chimneys,

Andallthescenesoflife,andtheworkshops,andtheworkmen

homewardreturning.

12

Lo!

bodyandsoul!

thisland!

MightyManhattan,withspires,andthesparklingandhurryingtides,

andtheships;

Thevariedandampleland—theSouthandtheNorthinthe

light—Ohio’sshores,andflashingMissouri,

Andeverthefar-spreadingprairies,cover’dwithgrassandcorn.

Lo!

themostexcellentsun,socalmandhaughty;

Thevioletandpurplemorn,withjust-feltbreezes;

Thegentle,soft-born,measurelesslight;

Themiracle,spreading,bathingall—thefulfill’dnoon;

Thecomingeve,delicious—thewelcomenight,andthestars,

Overmycitiesshiningall,envelopingmanandland.

13

Singon!

singon,yougray-brownbird!

Singfromtheswamps,therecesses—pouryourchantfromthe

bushes;

Limitlessoutofthedusk,outofthecedarsandpines.

Singon,dearestbrother—warbleyourreedysong;

Loudhumansong,withvoiceofuttermostwoe.

Oliquid,andfree,andtender!

Owildandloosetomysoul!

Owondroussinger!

YouonlyIhear......yetthestarholdsme,（butwillsoondepart;）

Yetthelilac,withmasteringodor,holdsme.

14

NowwhileIsatintheday,andlook’dforth,

Inthecloseoftheday,withitslight,andthefieldsofspring,

andthefarmerpreparinghiscrops,

Inthelargeunconscioussceneryofmyland,withitslakesand

forests,

Intheheavenlyaerialbeauty,（aftertheperturb’dwinds,andthe

storms;）

Underthearchingheavensoftheafternoonswiftpassing,andthe

voicesofchildrenandwomen,

Themany-movingsea-tides,—andIsawtheshipshowtheysail’d,

Andthesummerapproachingwithrichness,andthefieldsallbusy

withlabor,

Andtheinfiniteseparatehouses,howtheyallwenton,eachwithits

mealsandminutiaofdailyusages;

Andthestreets,howtheirthrobbingsthrobb’d,andthecities

pent—lo!

thenandthere,

Fallinguponthemall,andamongthemall,envelopingmewiththe

rest,

Appear’dthecloud,appear’dthelongblacktrail;

AndIknewDeath,itsthought,andthesacredknowledgeofdeath.

15

Thenwiththeknowledgeofdeathaswalkingonesideofme,

Andthethoughtofdeathclose-walkingtheothersideofme,

AndIinthemiddle,aswithcompanions,andasholdingthehandsof

companions,

Ifledforthtothehidingreceivingnight,thattalksnot,

Downtotheshoresofthewater,thepathbytheswampinthe

dimness,

Tothesolemnshadowycedars,andghostlypinessostill.

Andthesingersoshytotherestreceiv’dme;

Thegray-brownbirdIknow,receiv’duscomradesthree;

Andhesangwhatseem’dthecarolofdeath,andaverseforhimI

love.

Fromdeepsecludedrecesses,

Fromthefragrantcedars,andtheghostlypinessostill,

Camethecarolofthebird.

Andthecharmofthecarolraptme,

AsIheld,asifbytheirhands,mycomradesinthenight;

Andthevoiceofmyspirittalliedthesongofthebird.

16

DEATHCAROL.

Come,lovelyandsoothingDeath,

Undulateroundtheworld,serenelyarriving,arriving,

Intheday,inthenight,toall,toeach,

Soonerorlater,delicateDeath.

Prais’dbethefathomlessuniverse,

Forlifeandjoy,andforobjectsandknowledgecurious;

Andforlove,sweetlove—Butpraise!

praise!

praise!

Forthesure-enwindingarmsofcool-enfoldingDeath.

DarkMother,alwaysglidingnear,withsoftfeet,

Havenonechantedfortheeachantoffullestwelcome?

ThenIchantitforthee—Iglorifytheeaboveall;

Ibringtheeasongthatwhenthoumustindeedcome,comeunfalteringly.

Approach,strongDeliveress!

Whenitisso—whenthouhasttakenthem,Ijoyouslysingthe

dead,

Lostintheloving,floatingoceanofthee,

Lavedinthefloodofthybliss,ODeath.

Frommetotheegladserenades,

DancesfortheeIpropose,salutingthee—adornmentsand

feastingsforthee;

Andthesightsoftheopenlandscape,andthehigh-spreadsky,are

fitting,

Andlifeandthefields,andthehugeandthoughtfulnight.155

Thenight,insilence,undermanyastar;

Theoceanshore,andthehuskywhisperingwave,whosevoiceIknow;

Andthesoulturningtothee,Ovastandwell-veil’dDeath,