I am delighted with my heart
Although my circus animals are all on show
(Those crazy boys, the burnished chariot
lions and witches—and lord knows what!)
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire aflame
But something rustled on the moor
And someone called me by my name
She was a shimmering girl
With little demons in her hair
Who called me by name and ran
And faded through the brightening air
I will find out where she has gone
And kiss her lips
And take her hand
And walk among long dappled grass
And pluck—till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon
The golden apples of the sun
(Why, what could she have done being what she is?
Was there another Troy for her to burn?)
Sometimes love letters was the name I gave her
She. Slightly crazed—had given her heart away
But my blue heaven had intervened to save her
While the fairy queen that rose out of the spray
Said—better to smile on all that smiles
And show there is a comfortable kind of scarecrow
What a star sang and careless muses heard
Old clothes upon old sticks to scare a bird
And therefore my heart—is driven wild
She stands before me—as a fairy child
And binding down before the glowing bars
He murmurs a little sadly—how love fled
And pacing the mountains overhead
He tries his luck among a crowd of stars
I am delighted with my heart Although my circus animals are all on show (Those crazy boys, the burnished chariot lions and witches—and lord knows what!) When I had laid it on the floor I went to blow the fire aflame But something rustled on the moor And someone called me by my name She was a shimmering girl With little demons in her hair Who called me by name and ran And faded through the brightening air I will find out where she has gone And kiss her lips And take her hand And walk among long dappled grass And pluck—till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon The golden apples of the sun (Why, what could she have done being what she is? Was there another Troy for her to burn?)
Sometimes love letters was the name I gave her She. Slightly crazed—had given her heart away But my blue heaven had intervened to save her While the fairy queen that rose out of the spray Said—better to smile on all that smiles And show there is a comfortable kind of scarecrow What a star sang and careless muses heard Old clothes upon old sticks to scare a bird And therefore my heart—is driven wild She stands before me—as a fairy child And binding down before the glowing bars He murmurs a little sadly—how love fled And pacing the mountains overhead He tries his luck among a crowd of stars
William Butler—Billy Yeats—paraphrased