IV

Every flower and every fruit the redolent breath

Of this warm seawind ripeneth,

Arching the billow in his sleep;

But the land-wind wandereth,

Broken by the highland-steep,

Two streams upon the violet deep:

For the western sun and the western star,

And the low west wind, breathing afar,

The end of day and beginning of night

Make the apple holy and bright;

Holy and bright, round and full, bright and blest,

Mellowed in a land of rest;

Watch it warily day and night;

All good things are in the west,

Till midnoon the cool east light

Is shut out by the round of the tall hillbrow;

But when the fullfaced sunset yellowly

Stays on the flowering arch of the bough,

The luscious fruitage clustereth mellowly,

Goldenkernelled, goldencored,

Sunset ripened above on the tree.

The world is wasted with fire and sword,

But the apple of gold hangs over the sea.

Five links, a golden chain, are we,

Hesper, the dragon, and sisters three,

Daughters three,

Bound about

All round about

The gnarlèd bole of the charmèd tree.

The golden apple, the golden apple, the hallowed fruit,

Guard it well, guard it warily,

Watch it warily,

Singing airily,

Standing about the charmèd root.