I took the perfect balances and weighed; No shaking of my hand disturbed the poise; 10 Weighed, found it wanting: not a word I said, But silent made my choice. None know the choice I made; I make it still. None know the choice I made and broke my heart, Breaking mine idol: I have braced my will Once, chosen for once my part. I broke it at a blow, I laid it cold, Crushed in my deep heart where it used to live. My heart dies inch by inch; the time grows old, Grows old in which I grieve. 20 II I have a room whereinto no one enters Save I myself alone: There sits a blessed memory on a throne, There my life centres. While winter comes and goes--oh tedious comer!-- And while its nip-wind blows; While bloom the bloodless lily and warm rose Of lavish summer. If any should force entrance he might see there One buried yet not dead, 30 Before whose face I no more bow my head Or bend my knee there; But often in my worn life's autumn weather I watch there with clear eyes, And think how it will be in Paradise When we're together. A ROYAL PRINCESS I, a princess, king-descended, decked with jewels, gilded, drest, Would rather be a peasant with her baby at her breast, For all I shine so like the sun, and am purple like the west. Two and two my guards behind, two and two before, Two and two on either hand, they guard me evermore; Me, poor dove, that must not coo--eagle that must not soar. All my fountains cast up perfumes, all my gardens grow Scented woods and foreign spices, with all flowers in blow That are costly, out of season as the seasons go. All my walls are lost in mirrors, whereupon I trace 10 Self to right hand, self to left hand, self in every place, Self-same solitary figure, self-same seeking face. Then I have an ivory chair high to sit upon, Almost like my father's chair, which is an ivory throne; There I sit uplift and upright, there I sit alone. Alone by day, alone by night, alone days without end; My father and my mother give me treasures, search and spend-- O my father! O my mother! have you ne'er a friend? As I am a lofty princess, so my father is A lofty king, accomplished in all kingly subtilties, 20 Holding in his strong right hand world-kingdoms' balances. He has quarrelled with his neighbours, he has scourged his foes; Vassal counts and princes follow where his pennon goes, Long-descended valiant lords whom the vulture knows, On whose track the vulture swoops, when they ride in state To break the strength of armies and topple down the great: Each of these my courteous servant, none of these my mate. My father counting up his strength sets down with equal pen So many head of cattle, head of horses, head of men; These for slaughter, these for breeding, with the how and when. 30