Why fades the lotus of the water Why fade these children of the spring Thal is like a watery bow and like a parting cloud like a reflection in a glass like shadows in the water like dreams of infants like a smile upon an infant's face like the dove's voice like transient day like music in the air Ah and gentle sleep the sleep of death and gently hear the voice of him that walketh in the garden in the evening time The lily of the valley breathing in the humble grass answered the lovely maid and said I am a watery weed and I am very small and love to dwell in lowly vales So weak the gilded butterfly scarce perches on my head yet I am visited from heaven and he that smiles on all walks in the valley and each morn over me spreads his hand saying rejoice thou humble grass thou new born lily flower thou gentle maid of silent valleys and of modest brooks for thou shall be clothed in light and fed with morning manna till summer's heat melts thee beside the fountains and the springs to flourish in eternal vales they why shouldst thou complain why should the mistress of the vales of har utter a sigh She ceased and smiled in tears, then sat down in her silver shrine, which thou dost scatter on every little blade of grass that springs, revives the milked cow, and tames the fire breathing stead, but thou is like a faint cloud kindled at the rising sun. I vanish from my pearly throne, and who shall find my place, and why it scatters its bright beauty through the humid air. Descend, O little cloud, and hover before the eyes of thou. O little cloud, the virgin said, I charge thee to tell me why thou complainest now when in one hour thou fade away. Then we shall seek thee, but not find. Ah, thou is like to thee. I pass away, yet I complain, and no one hears my voice. The cloud then showed his golden head, and his bright form emerged, and fearest thou because I vanish and am seen no more. It is to tenfold life, to love, to peace, and raptures holy, unseen descending, weigh my light wings upon balmy flowers, and court the fair eyed dew to take me to her shining tent, the weeping virgin trembling kneels before the risen sun, till we arise linked in a golden band, and never part, but walk united bearing food to all our tender flowers, lives not alone nor of itself. Fear not, and I will call the weak worm from its lowly bed, and thou shalt hear its voice. Come forth, worm, and the silent valley to thy pensive queen. The helpless worm arose and sat upon the lily's leaf, and the bright cloud sailed on to find his partner in the vale. Image of weakness, art thou but a worm? I see they lay helpless and naked, weeping and none to answer, none to cherish thee with mother's smiles, and says, Thou mother of my children, I have loved thee, and I have given thee a crown that none can take away, and lay me down in thy cold bed, and leave my shining lot, or an eye of gifts and graces, showering fruits in coined gold. Why a tongue impressed with honey from every wind Why an ear a whirlpool fierce to draw creations in He hoped there would be stew for dinner turnips and carrots and bruised potatoes and fat mutton pieces to be ladled out in thick peppered flour fattened sauce Stuff it into you his belly counseled him After early nightfall the yellow lamps would light up here and there the squalid quarter of the brothels Hello Bertie any good in your mind Number ten fresh Nelly is waiting on you Good night husband The music came nearer and he recalled the words the words of Shelley's fragment upon the moon wandering companionless pale for weariness The dull light fell more faintly upon the page whereon another equation began to unfold itself slowly and to spread abroad its widening tail A cold lucid indifference reigned in his soul The chaos in which his ardor extinguished itself was a cold indifferent knowledge of himself At most by an alms given to a beggar whose blessing he fled from he might hope wearily to win for himself some measure of actual grace Well now Ennis I declare you have a head and so has my stick On Saturday mornings when the sodality met in the chapel to recite the little office his place was a cushioned kneeling desk at the right of the altar from which he led his wing of boys through the responses Her eyes seemed to regard him with mild pity, her holiness, a strange light glowing faintly upon her frail flesh, did not humiliate the sinner who approached her. If ever he was impelled to cast sin from him and to repent, the impulse that moved him was the wish to be her knight. He tried to think how it could be, but the dusk deepening in the schoolroom covered over his thoughts. The bell rang. Then you can ask him questions on the catechism, Dedalus. Stephen, leaning back and drawing idly on his scribbler, listened to the talk about him, which Heron checked from time to time by saying.