William Butler Yeats: After long silence

Wederom dank aan Mike, fournisseur of all things sublime, voor deze vondst van de hand van William Butler Yeats:



After long silence

Speech after long silence; it is right,
All other lovers being estranged or dead,
Unfriendly lamplight hid under its shade,
The curtains drawn upon unfriendly night,
That we descant and yet again descant
Upon the supreme theme of Art and Song:
Bodily decrepitude is wisdom; young
We loved each other and were ignorant.

* descant: > cantare (Lat.) = zingen
** decrepitude: > decrepitus (Lat.) = afgeleefd