Flute-Music, With An Accompaniment

By Robert Browning

He.Ah, the bird-like fluting Through the ash-tops yonder, Bullfinch-bubblings, soft sounds suiting What sweet thoughts, I wonder? Fine-pearled notes that surely Gather, dewdrop-fashion, Deep-down in some heart which purely Secretes globuled passion, Passion insuppressive, Such is piped, for certain; Love, no doubt, nay, love excessive Tis your ash-tops curtain. Would your ash-tops open We might spy the player, Seek and find some sense which no pen Yet from singer, sayer, Ever has extracted: Never, to my knowledge, Yet has pedantry enacted That, in Cupids College, Just this variation Of the old, old yearning Should by plain speech have salvation, Yield new men new learning. Love! but what love, nicely New from old disparted, Would the player teach precisely? First of all, be started In my brain Assurance, Trust, entire Contentment, Passion proved by much endurance; Then came, not resentment, No, but simply Sorrow: What was seen had vanished: Yesterday so blue! To-morrow Blank, all sunshine banished. Hark! Tis Hope resurges, Struggling through obstruction, Forces a poor smile which verges On joys introduction. Now, perhaps, mere Musing: Holds earth such a wonder? Fairy-mortal, soul-sense-fusing Past thoughts power to sunder! What? calm Acquiescence? Daisied turf gives room to Trefoil, plucked once in her presence, Growing by her tomb too! She.Alls your fancy-spinning! Heres the fact: a neighbor Never-ending, still beginning, Recreates his labor: Deep oer desk he drudges, Adds, divides, subtracts and Multiplies, until he judges Noonday-hours exact sand Shows the hour-glass emptied: Then comes lawful leisure, Minutes rare from toil exempted, Fit to spend in pleasure. Out then with, what treatise? Youths Complete Instructor How to play the Flute. Quid petis? Follow Youths conductor On and on, through Easy, Up to Harder, Hardest Flute-piece, till thou, flautist wheezy, Possibly discardest Tootlings hoarse and husky, Mayst expend with courage Breath, on tunes once bright, now dusky, Meant to cool thy porridge. Thats an air of Tulous He maltreats persistent, Till as lief Id hear some Zulus Bone-piped bag, breath-distent, Madden native dances. Im the mans familiar: Unexpectedness enhances What your ears auxiliar Fancy, finds suggestive. Listen! Thats legato Rightly played, his fingers restive Touch as if staccato. He.Ah, you trick-betrayer! Telling tales, unwise one? So the secret of the player Was, he could surprise one Well-nigh into trusting Here was a musician Skilled consummately, yet lusting Through no vile ambition After making captive All the world, rewarded Amply by one strangers rapture. Common praise discarded. So, without assistance Such as music rightly Needs and claims, defying distance, Overleaping lightly Obstacles which hinder, He, for my approval, All the same and all the kinder Made mine what might move all Earth to kneel adoring: Took, while he piped Gounods Bit of passionate imploring, Me for Juliet: who knows? No! as you explain things, Alls mere repetition, Practise-pother: of all vain things Why waste pooh or pish on Toilsome effort, never Ending, still beginning After what should pay endeavor Right-performance? winning Weariness from you who, Ready to admire some Owls fresh hooting, Tu-whit, to-who, Find stale thrush-songs tiresome. She.Songs, Spring thought perfection, Summer criticises: What in May escaped detection, August, past surprises, Notes, and names each blunder. You, the just-initiate, Praise to hearts content (what wonder?) Tootings I hear vitiate Romeos serenading, I who, times full twenty, Turned to ice, no ash-tops aiding, At his caldamente. So, twas distance altered Sharps to flats? The missing Bar when syncopation faltered (You thought, paused for kissing!) Ash-tops too felonious Intercepted? Rather Say, they well-nigh made euphonious Discord, helped to gather Phrase, by phrase, turn patches Into simulated Unity which botching matches, Scraps redintegrated. He.Sweet, are you suggestive Of an old suspicion Which has always found me restive To its admonition When it ventured whisper Fool, the strifes and struggles Of your trembler, blusher, lisper Were so many juggles, Tricks tried, oh, so often! Which once more do duty, Find again a heart to soften, Soul to snare with beauty. Birth-blush of the briar-rose, Mist-bloom of the hedge-sloe, Some one gainst the prize: admire rose Would he, when noons wedge, slow, Sure, has pushed, expanded Rathe pink to raw redness? Would he covet sloe when sanded By road-dust to deadness? So, restore their value! Ply a water-sprinkle Then guess sloe is fingered, shall you? Find in rose a wrinkle? Here what played Aquarius? Distance, ash-tops aiding, Reconciled scraps else contrarious, Brightened stuff fast fading. Distance, call your shyness: Was the fair one peevish? Coyness softened out of slyness. Was she cunning, thievish, All-but proved impostor? Bear but one days exile, Ugly traits were wholly lost or Screened by fancies flexile, Ash-tops these, you take me? Fancies interference Changed . . . But since I sleep, dont wake me! What if alls appearance? Is not outside seeming Real as substance inside? Both are facts, so leave me dreaming: If who loses wins Id Ever lose, conjecture, From one phrase trilled deftly, All the piece. So, end your lecture, Let who lied be left lie!