The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Tale of Old Japan, by Alfred Noyes.

A Tale of Old Japan is reprinted from the Collected Poems by Alfred Noyes (Vol. II., p. 308), where it is entitled The Two Painters: A Tale of Old Japan.

The appearance of this poem in its present form is due chiefly to the demand created for it by a vanished hand. It was set to music as a cantata by Coleridge Taylor, some years ago. He thought it his best work. Hardly a week has passed since then without some performance of it, in some part of the world; and it may be said that the music he wrote for it has won the lasting affection of the thousands that have heard it. He was, in two works, the most vital and spontaneous musician of his time. The first was his youthful setting of Longfellows Hiawatha. Then came many years of experiment with European subjects, disappointment, and apparent failure. In the Eastern theme of A Tale of Old Japan he found something which (as those who know his history will understand) enabled him to draw the bow across his own heart-strings, and, from the first note to the last, he gave in it the most pathetic, the most haunting expression, to his own spirit. To me it was a most moving fact that his great genius should have shown so scrupulous and infinitely painstaking a regard for the words of the poem. He submitted to their narrow room, but in a way that suggests quite new possibilities in the wedding of music and verse. He preserved every cadence of every line, and yet he gave the freedom of music to the whole, in a way that poets had ceased to think possible. It is therefore to his memory that I would dedicate the poem, all too poor a chrysalis as it must seem for those exquisite wings.

A TALE OF OLD JAPAN

Swift to learn, beneath his hand Soon he watched his wonderland Growing cloud by magic cloud, Under the silvery willow-tree In the school of Tenko: Kimi watched him, young and proud, Painting by the purple sea. Lying on the golden sand Watched his golden wings expand! [None but Love will understand All she hid from Tenko.]

He could paint her tree and flower Sea and spray and wizard's tower, With one stroke, now hard, now soft, Under the silvery willow-tree In the school of Tenko:

He could fling a bird aloft, Splash a dragon in the sea, Crown a princess in her bower, With one stroke of magic power; And she watched him hour by hour, In the school of Tenko.

Yoichi Tenko, wondering, scanned All the work of that young hand, Gazed his kakemonos o'er Under the silvery willow-tree In the school of Tenko: I can teach you nothing more, Thought, or craft, or mystery; Let your golden wings expand, They will shadow half the land, All the world's at your command, Come no more to Tenko.

Lying on the golden sand, Kimi watched his wings expand: Wept.--He could not understand Why she wept, said Tenko.

Poor little face cast backward Better to see his own, Earth and heaven went past them Drifting: they too, alone Stood, immortal. He whispered-- Nothing can part us two! Backward her sad little face went Drifting, and dreamed it true.

Others are happy, she murmured, Maidens and men I have seen; You are my king, Sawara, O, let me be your queen! If I am all too lowly, Sadly she strove to smile, Let me follow your footsteps, Your slave for a little while.

Surely, he thought, I have painted Nothing so fair as this Moonlit almond blossom Sweet to fold and kiss, Brow that is filled with music, Shell of a faery sea, Eyes like the holy violets Brimmed with dew for me.

Wait for Sawara he whispered, Does not his whole heart yearn Now to his moon-bright maiden? Wait, for he will return Rich as the wave on the moon's path Rushing to claim his bride! So they plighted their promise, And the ebbing sea-wave sighed.

Moon and flower and butterfly, Earth and heaven went drifting by, Three long years while Kimi dreamed Under the silvery willow-tree In the school of Tenko, Steadfast while the whole world streamed Past her tow'rds Eternity; Steadfast till with one great cry, Ringing to the gods on high, Golden wings should bind the sky And bring him back to Tenko.

Three long years and nought to say Sweet, I come the golden way, Riding royally to the school Under the silvery willow-tree Claim my bride of Tenko; Silver bells on a milk-white mule, Rose-red sails on an emerald sea! Kimi sometimes went to pray In the temple nigh the bay, Dreamed all night and gazed all day Over the sea from Tenko.

Far away his growing fame Lit the clouds. No message came From the sky, whereon she gazed Under the silvery willow-tree Far away from Tenko! Small white hands in the temple raised Pleaded with the Mystery-- Stick of incense in the flame, Though my love forget my name, Help him, bless him, all the same, And ... bring him back to Tenko!

Rose-white temple nigh the bay, Hush! for Kimi comes to pray, Dream all night and gaze all day Over the sea from Tenko.

Peonies, peonies thronged the May When in royal-rich array Came Sawara to the school Under the silvery willow-tree-- To the school of Tenko! Silver bells on a milk-white mule, Rose-red sails on an emerald sea! Over the bloom of the cherry spray, Peonies, peonies dimmed the day; And he rode the royal way Back to Yoichi Tenko.

Yoichi Tenko, half afraid Whispered, Wed some other maid; Kimi left me all alone Under the silvery willow-tree, Left me, whispered Tenko, Kimi had a heart of stone! -- Kimi, Kimi? Who is she? Kimi? Ah, the child that played Round the willow-tree. She prayed Often; and, whate'er I said, She believed it, Tenko.

He had come to paint anew Those dim isles of rose and blue, For a palace far away, Under the silvery willow-tree-- So he said to Tenko; And he painted, day by day, Golden visions of the sea. No, he had not come to woo; Yet, had Kimi proven true, Doubtless he had loved her too, Hardly less than Tenko.

Since the thought was in his head, He would make his choice and wed; And a lovely maid he chose Under the silvery willow-tree. Fairer far, said Tenko. Kimi had a twisted nose, And a foot too small, for me, And her face was dull as lead! Nay, a flower, be it white or red, Is a flower, Sawara said! So it is, said Tenko.

Great Sawara, the painter, Sought, on a day of days, One of the peacock islands Out in the sunset haze: Rose-red sails on the water Carried him quickly nigh: There would he paint him a wonder, Worthy of Hokusai.

Lo, as he leapt o'er the creaming Roses of faery foam, Out of the green-lipped caverns Under the isles blue dome, White as a drifting snow-flake, White as the moons white flame, White as a ghost from the darkness, Little O Kimi came.

Long I have waited, Sawara, Here in our sunset isle, Sawara, Sawara, Sawara, Look at me once, and smile:

Face I have watched so long for, Hands I have longed to hold, Sawara, Sawara, Sawara, Why is your heart so cold?

Surely, he thought, I have painted Nothing so fair as this Moonlit almond blossom Sweet to fold and kiss.... Kimi, he said, I am wedded! Hush, for it could not be! Kiss me one kiss, she whispered, Me also, even me.

Small and terribly drifting Backward, her sad white face Lifted up to Sawara Once, in that lonely place, White as a drifting blossom Under his wondering eyes, Slowly he gathered and held her Under the drifting skies.

Transcriber Notes:

The original book had no page numbers, and no page numbers have been added.

In the fourth stanza, the period after Peonies was replaced with a comma.

The quotation mark was deleted after In the school of Tenko.

The quotation mark was deleted before Does not his whole heart yearn

A period was added after Never a heart could find.

A foot to small was changed to A foot too small.

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The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Tale of Old Japan

A TALE OF OLD JAPAN

Transcriber Notes:

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE