Chapter I: Front Matter

</pre>

E-text prepared by Christine Bell and Marc D'Hooghe (http://www.freeliterature.org) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org)

Note: Images of the original pages are available through
Internet Archive. See
http://www.archive.org/details/contemporarybelg00bithuoft

CONTEMPORARY BELGIAN POETRY

Selected and Translated by

JETHRO BITHELL

M.A., Lecturer in German at the Birkbeck College, London.

1911

To Emile Verhaeren.

_Tout bouge--et l'on dirait les horizons en marche._

Now let the dead past fall into the deep,
With all its sleepy songs and churching chimes,
You are the Bell that gospels mightier times
O'er men who scale the Future's rugged steep,

Not looking back to where the weaklings creep,
But, with for battle-song your iron rimes,
Marching front forwards to the visioned climes
Where hearts are steeled and furious forces sweep.

Of Jewish idols and Greek gods they sang,
But louder than their voice hard anvils rang,
And o'er their gardens smoke trailed waving hair;

But while the old was ruined by the new,
You pointed to a City far more fair;
And, Master, with glad hearts we follow You.

CONTENTS.

Introduction

SYLVAIN BONMARIAGE--

Autumn Evening in the Orchard
You Whom I Love in Silence

THOMAS BRAUN--

The Benediction of the Nuptial Ring
The Benediction of Wine
The Benediction of the Cheeses

ISI-COLLIN--

To the Muse
A Dream

JEAN DOMINIQUE--

Thou Whom the Summer Crosses, as a Fawn
The Legend of Saint Ursula
The Soul's Promise
A Secret

MAX ELSKAMP--

Of Evening
Full of Grace
Full of Grace
Comforter of the Afflicted
Comforter of the Afflicted
Comforter of the Afflicted
Comforter of the Afflicted
To the Eyes
To the Mouth
For the Ear
To-day is the Day of Rest, the Sabbath
Mary, Shed your Hair
And Mary Reads a Gospel-page
And Whether in Gray or in Black Cope

ANDRE FONTAINAS--

Her Voice
Cophetua
Desires
Adventure
Luxury
Sea-scape
A Propitious Meeting
The Hours
Awake!
Life is Calm
Frontispiece
Invitation
To the Pole

PAUL GERARDY--

She
Evil Love
The Owl
Of Sad Joy
Of Autumn
On the Sea

IWAN GILKIN--

Psychology
The Capital
The Penitent
"Et Eritis Sicut Dii"
Vengeance
The Song of the Forges
Hermaphrodite
The Days of Yore

VALERE GILLE--

Art
Thermopylae
A Naval Battle

ALBERT GIRAUD--

The Tribunes
Cordovans
Florise
Hecate
In the Reign of the Borgias
Absorption
The Youth Among the Lilies
Resignation
Voices

VICTOR KINON--

The Resurrection of Dreams
Midnight
Hiding from the World
The Gust of Wind
The Setting Sun

CHARLES VAN LERBERGHE--

Errant Sympathy
The Garden Inclosed
The Temptation
Art Thou Waking?
All of White and of Gold
The Rain
At Sunset
A Barque of Gold
Lilies that Spin

GREGOIRE LE ROY--

The Spinster Past
Roundel of Old Women
Hands
My Eyes
My Hands
Silences

MAURICE MAETERLINCK

The Hothouse
Orison
Hot-house of Weariness
Dark Offering
The Heart's Foliage
Soul
Lassitude
Tired Wild Beasts
Lustreless Hours
The Hospital
Winter Desires
Roundelay of Weariness
Burning Glass
Looks of Eyes
The Soul in the Night
Songs

GEORGES MARLOW--

Women in Resignation
Souls of the Evening

ALBERT MOCKEL--

The Girl
The Song of Running Water
The Goblet
The Chandelier
The Angel
The Man with the Lyre
Song of Tears and Laughter
The Eternal Bride
The Bride of Brides

GEORGES RAMAEKERS--

The Thistle
Mushrooms

GEORGES RENCY--

What Use is Speech?
The Source
The Flesh

FERNAND SEVERIN--

The Chaplet
The Lily of the Valley
Sovran State
The Kiss of Souls
Her Sweet Voice
The Refuge
Nature
The Humble Hope
Eleonora D'Este
The Thinker
A Sage
They Who are Worn with Love
The Centaur

EMILE VERHAEREN--

The Old Masters
The Cowherd
The Art of the Flemings
Peasants
Fogs
On the Coast
Homage
Canticles
Dying Men
The Arms of Evening
The Mill
In Pious Mood
The Ferryman
The Rain
The Fishermen
Silence
The Rope-Maker
Saint George
In the North
The Town
The Music-Hall
The Butcher's Stall
A Corner of the Quay
My Heart is as it Climbed a Steep
When I was as a Man that Hopeless Pines
Lest Anything Escape from our Embrace
I Bring to You as Offering To-night
In the Cottage where our Peaceful Love Reposes
This is the Good Hour when the Lamp is Lit
The Sovran Rhythm

BIBLIOGRAPHY

NOTES