Erstwhile, travelled a monk to heav'n -
that Holy Grail.
Borne on trance's wings - pride cloven.
Got he at 't gate:
And the angels all were silent.
Where pale Cynthia shed her order,
for its great wall
pukes rare radiance, beams and Jasper -
and the gate's tall:
And the angels all were silent.
Then his fingers, this marred monk wrapped
into knuckles
on the gate - cacophony clasped;
his grit trembled:
And the angels all were silent.
Saw he wings in gay - sumptuous spree.
Its floor of gold.
His voice he raised and did quethe:
"Allow me in. Oh! ":
And the angels all were silent.
"Why should I? " Waves of waters spoke.
He was not moved -
Knew he in what awe his Lord's robed.
"Why shouldn't you? ":
And the angels all were silent.
"The biles of life I made my meal.
Awed no nuptials.
Apt azure rarely did I see,
for thy rituals.":
And the angels all were silent.
"Thy convent was my bosom friend.
Your book my zeal.
E'en for thy sake had I no friend,
oft was my plea.":
And the angels all were silent.
"To sages'n'lord was I a plague.
Graces met gloom.
Yet yond this, torn ticker sin craved.
Why shouldn't you? ":
And the angels all were silent.
Now moaning, marred monk quit his rhymes,
'waiting the sage.
'gain ROCK OF AGES quoth mid smile:
"Know you my name? "
And the moaning monk was silent.
'20: 07: 04: 09: 05
Note:
*An imitation of Walter C. Smith's "The Self-Exiled".
a)of moaning monk.
b)Written apace with Middle English lexis.
i)Erstwhile - Long ago
ii)Grit - Courage
iii)Quethe/quoth - Say/Said
iv)Oft - Often
v)Yond - Beyond
vi)Mid - (obsolete)With
c)The following are used with no syllabic consequences in the poem.
i)'t - it
ii)'n' - and etc.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem