Beautiful Hour, We Must Part

BEAUTIFUL hour, we must part,
Thou in dream and roses dight
Straying for ever towards the vague and night ...

And yet I waited for thee like a sweetheart,
I chastened my soul, and made it fit
For thy shoulder's nakedness, whereon alit
My kiss already trembling with awaiting it.

When I lifted mine eyes, far, far away,
Thou it was turning the new-mown hay,
Thou it was in the new vintagings,
And it was thy step, all a shiver of wings.

Thou wert my hope, and now thou art come ere I wist,
Laughing and frail in thy naked beauty, girt
With joy and love, thou who wert ...
Between yesterday and to-morrow is no to-day,
And thou and I--I swear!--we have not kissed.