Earth-Afflicted Children Singing In Heaven [from 'A Modern Faust'] Poem by Roden Berkeley Wriothesley Noel

Then, with a fountain's delicate rain noises
(A silver moss leaps plashing where it poises),
I heard afar melodious young tones
Of children, warbling limpid antiphons,
Of singing children, sister answering brother,
And flying, flying after one another.

THE FOUNTAIN SONG


First.
'Where is the rainbow?
Where may I find it?'

Second.
'In a fountain falling
With the sun behind it!'

First.
'Where the flying silver
Falls loose, dishevelled?'

Second.
'At an airier fountain
Your look be levelled!
Where gems enhancing
Aerial blue
Are glimmering, glancing,
A delicate dew!'

First.
'Come you, and show!
I never shall find!'

Second.
'Wait till he blow!
Ah! whims of the wind!'

First.
'Silent in airy dew
Playfully wafted,
Rainbow, the fairy, flew
Swift from the shafted
Watery column!
He will beguile
Old over-solemn
Faces to smile!'

Second.
'Here, over the leafage
Glowing to golden,
Not for a moment
Will he be holden;
A glamour of glory
Over the trees!
Ever murmuring story,
Low melodies!'

First.
'Now he is laving
Clear in the pool!
Wavelets are waving
Delicate, cool!
He is all azure,
Purple and yellow,
Following pleasure,
Beautiful fellow!
Awhile appearing,
Now here, now there!
Vanishing, veering
A Glendoveer!
Everywhere!'

Second.
'A bird who is washing
In a water-lily bath
A very fine flashing
Leaf-laver hath!
The young jet of joyance,
Clear with no colour,
Will yield all her buoyance
In a ruffling corolla,
Fall, a resolving
Soft silvery flower,
Woven water involving
Heaven-hues in a shower!
Deliciously dying is
Dear as the fleet
Swift thrill of flying
Morning to meet!'