The Ship

[A woodland scene: Springtime. On a mound in the midst is the barren tree, with two main branches right and left. On each side of the same a flat stone.

[The scene is in darkness; after a little slow and very faint and hesitating music, the voices of women are heard. They are seated on the stones, their attitudes expressing woe and anxiety.

JOANNA.

Sister, we touch the hour of fear.
The midmost murk is near.

JULIA.

There is no sign, no mark
To sunder dark from dark.

JOANNA.

There is no mark nor sign
Of our lost shrine.

JULIA.

Persuasion of the pit
Made us abandon it.

JOANNA.

Nay, by inscrutable
Law of all Life it fell.

JULIA.

Is that the light?

JOANNA.

The boon
Of the pure moon?

[Far above glimmers a crescent, and sheds a wan light. A horrible discord arises: the howling of wolves, the moaning of dogs, the wailing of cats, the crying of jackals. And in the half light appear first marsh-lights wandering, then giant illusions of gods and men, all of which disappear in turn, their evanishment awaking a peal of mocking laughter. The women shrink into themselves, clinging to the tree, and mingling their lamentations with the hellish concert. Suddenly Joanna, drawing herself up, points to the front of stage, where is a circular pool, whose waters become perturbed. The noises die away. There is a noise of chanting.

Chorus from beneath.

Dreams diluvian daunt the daring daughters
That, devout in the hour of wastrel waters,
Hither bore from its house of eld the shrine.
Dreams, and devils, and things of death together,
Chorus glorious, wild as wind and weather,
Mocking; Shine, O our God! Lord God, now shine!

Is the symbol of Life indeed departed?
Hath the augur indeed found bloodless-hearted
Firstling lamb, and the dove without entrails?
Is the hope of the world for ever sunken?
Was the dream of us dark, demented, drunken?
All in vain are we vowed before the veils?

Were we false to the faith? Did hope desert us?
Was not leonine love the grace that girt us?
Why then bore we the shrine across the sea?
Wait! the moment of midmost murk discloses
Dawn, deep laden the winds of March with roses.
Groans of travail announce the babe to be.

Now the waves of the pool are stirred; the ocean
Labours; Earth is awake; a murmured motion
Marks the end of the tragic theme. Behold
How the garden of Pan with subtle laughter
Shakes, how Bacchus and Ceres, leaping after,
Link extravagant limbs of rose and gold!

[In silence, lastly, a great Beetle emerges from the pool, holding in his mandibles the sacred Vesica! He advances, while the women prostrate themselves, and affixes it to the Tree, just above the fork of the boughs.

[JULIA plays a music still slow and sad, but with a central core of faith, hope and love.

JOANNA.

Eternal home of light and love,
Of life and liberty,
Thou shrine of seraph, dome of dove,
Soul of the sacred Tree,
Ark of the sanctuary, Cup
Wherein God's blood is treasured up!
From the abyss thou reappearest,
Thou the divinest and the dearest!

Moon of our love, most wondrous womb,
Mount of the Cave, red rose —
Mighty as light, transcend the tomb,
Thou tomb of all our woes!
White moon, pale moon, chaste moon, arise
Upon our smitten sanctuaries!
Thou hast passed through the aquarian rages,
Thou ship of all the sages!

[JULIA's music swells to a paean. Above the tree is seen a rainbow.

JULIA.

The seven colours glow upon the murk.
This is the midmost moment of the Work.

JOANNA.

Hark! Now the warders bring the bier
Of their dead Master here.

Chorus of unseen guardians, as in SCENE I. The clash of steel accompanies this chant.

Blessed are they that bear the bier
Unto the house of rest;
Through tempest toil and flooding fear,
From the wild waves o’ th’ west!
Blessed are they whose strength and faith
Pilot the ship whose name is Death!

Advancing ever to the east,
The holy pilgrims pace.
To the live God comes the dead priest
To front Him face to face,
If haply He reverse the doom
And tear its trophy from the tomb.

[The warders now approach and lay the body of the priest, still in its shroud, at the foot of the Tree.

JULIA.

Now be ye witnesses of Truth!
Here let love's lust yield youth!

[She raises her hands to heaven.

JOANNA [Comes forward and invokes at the shrine].

Now let my lord declare His power
This equinoctial hour!
If there be virtue in the dance,
And live abide within the lance,
And if the wine within the cup
Be the right draught for gods to sup —
Then be my sister’s music dowered
With answering song, and roses showered!

[JULIA dances and plays around the corpse. The orchestra joins after the first few bars, and innumerable roses fall from heaven. A pause, while they watch.

JULIA.

Alas! no life reposes
Beneath the rain of roses!

JOANNA.

Oh then, beneath the vaulted
Dome be our priest exalted!

[The two women and the warders lift the corpse, and stand it against the tree, its arms extended on the boughs.

JOANNA.

Now be ye witnesses of truth!
Here let love's lust yield youth!

JULIA.

Uncover, uncover the face of our lover!
He sleeps, but the woe of the winter is over!
With tears let us water the root of the tree!
With laughter be bold to awaken the stem!
Thy darling, thy daughter is calling to thee!
Thy warders uphold thee, make answer to them!
Let the bud thrill with blood. Let the force of the flood
Of the sap thereof lap every anther unseen!
Let the shower of our power bring rebirth to the flower,
And the one light of sunlight break scarlet and green!

JOANNA.

Alas, he does not stir!
Sorrowful, sinister
Is this day’s name,
The hour of shame!

JULIA.

Behold! Behold!
Rose breaks, and gold! [Dawn breaks in the wood.]
And see the cold white pall
Funereal fall!

[The wrappings fall from the corpse, and the youth John is seen beardless and smiling. He is dressed in the crown and robes of his father.

THE YOUNG JOHN.

I am that I am, the flame
Hidden in the sacred ark.
I am the unspoken name
I the unbegotten spark.

I am He that ever goeth,
Being in myself the Way;
Known, that yet no mortal knoweth,
Shewn, that yet no mortal sheweth,
I, the child of night and day.
I am never-dying youth.
I am Love, and I am Truth.

I am the creating Word,
I the author of the aeon;
None but I have ever heard
Echo in the empyrean
Plectron of the primal paean!
I am the eternal one
Winged and white, the flowering rod,
I the fountain of the sun,
Very God of very God!

I am he that lifteth up
Life, and flingeth it afar;
I have filled the crystal cup;
I have sealed the silver star.
I the wingless God that flieth
Through my firmamental fane,
I am he that daily dieth,
And is daily born again.

In the sea my father lieth,
Wept by waters, lost for ever
Where the waste of woe replieth:
Naught and nowhere! Naught and never!
I that serve as once he served,
I that shine as once he shone,
I must swerve as he has swerved,
I must go as he has gone.

He begat me; in my season
I must such a son beget,
Suffer too the triple treason,
Setting as my father set.
These my witnesses and women —
These shall dare the dark again,
Find the sacred ark to swim in
The remorseless realm of rain.

Flowers and fruits I bring to bless you,
Cakes of corn, and wealth of wine;
With my crown will I caress you,
With my music make you mine.
Though I perish, I preserve you;
Through my fall, ye rise above:
Ruling you, your priest, I serve you,
Being life, and being love.

JOANNA.

Here is corn!

JULIA.

Here is wine!

THE YOUNG JOHN.

Life reborn,
The Deed Divine!

[He consecrates, and partakes of, the sacrament. The two warders, kneeling, clasp his knees, and the two women support his arms. A sixfold chime of bells. He invokes the God in the shrine.

THE YOUNG JOHN.

Thou, who art I, beyond all I am,
Who hast no nature and no name,
Who art, when all but thou are gone,
Thou, centre and secret of the Sun,
Thou, hidden spring of all things known
And unknown, Thou aloof, alone,
Thou, the true fire within the reed
Brooding and breeding, source and seed
Of life, love, liberty, and light,
Thou beyond speech and beyond sight,
Thee I invoke, abiding one,
Thee, centre and secret of the Sun,
And that most holy mystery
Of which the vehicle am I!
Appear, most awful and most mild,
As it is lawful, to thy child!

Chorus.

So from the Father to the Son
The Holy Spirit is the norm:
Male-female, quintessential, one,
Man-being veiled in Woman-form,
Glory and worship in the Highest,
Thou Dove, mankind that deifiest,
Being that race — most royally run
To spring sunshine through winter storm!
Glory and worship be to Thee,
Sap of the world-ash, wonder-tree!

1st Semi-chorus.

Glory to Thee from gilded tomb!
Glory to Thee from waiting womb!

2nd Semi-chorus.

Glory to Thee from virgin vowed!
Glory to Thee from earth unploughed!

1st Semi-chorus.

Glory to Thee, true Unity
Of the eternal Trinity!

2nd Semi-chorus.

Glory to Thee, thou sire and dam
And self of I am that I am!

1st Semi-chorus.

Glory to Thee, beyond all term,
Thy spring of sperm, thy seed and germ!

2nd Semi-chorus.

Glory to Thee, eternal Sun,
Thou One in Three, thou Three in One!

Chorus.

Glory and worship be to Thee,
Sap of the world-ash, wonder-tree!

[He raises his hands to the shrine, and opens it. A rosy light streams thence and fills the holy place, while the white Dove that was enshrined therein descends upon his head. The tree blossoms into leaf, flower, and fruit.

(The curtain falls.)