"O Pearl," I said, "in pearls bedight, Art thou my pearl for which I mourn,
all alone at night?
With hidden grief my heart is worn.
Since thou through grass didst slip from sight,
and pained, I pass forlorn,
And thou livest in a life of light,
A world where enters sin nor scorn.
What fate has hither my jewel borne,
And left me in earth's and stir?
Oh, sweet, since we in twain were torn,
I have been a joyless jeweler."
That Jewel then with besprent
Glanced up at me with eyes of grey,
Put on her pearl crown orient,
And soberly began to say:
"You tell your tale with wrong intent,
Thinking your pearl gone quite away.
Like a jewel within a coffer pent,
In this gracious garden bright and gay,
Your pearl may ever dwell at play,
Where sin nor mourning come to her;
It were a joy to thee alway
Wert thou a gentle jeweler.
"But, Jeweler, if thou dost lose
Thy joy for a once dear to thee,
Methinks thou dost thy mind abuse,
Bewildered by a fantasy;
Thou hast lost nothing save a rose
That flowered and failed by life's decree:
Because the coffer did round it close,
A precious pearl it came to be.
A thief thou hast thy destiny
That something for nothing gives thee, sir;
Thou blamest thy sorrow's remedy,
Thou art no grateful jeweler."
Like jewels did her story fall,
A jewel, every gentle clause;
"Truly," I said, "thou best of all!
My great thy voice withdraws.
I thought my pearl lost past recall,
My jewel shut within earth's ;
But now I shall keep festival,
And dwell with it in bright wood-shaws;
And love my Lord and all His laws,
Who hath brought this . Ah! if I were
Beyond these waves, I should have cause
To be a jeweler."
"Jeweler," said that Gem so dear,
"Why jest ye men, so mad ye be?
Three sayings thou hast spoken clear,
And unconsidered were all three;
Their meaning thou canst not come near,
Thy word before thy thought doth flee.
First, thou believest me truly here,
Because with eyes thou mayst me see;
Second, with me in this country
Thou dwell, whatever may ;
Third, that to cross here thou art free:
That may no joyful jeweler."