So, clothed with love and fear that love makes great, And armed with hope and hate, He set first foot upon the spring-flowered ways That all feet pass and praise. And one dim dawn between the winter and spring, In the sharp harsh wind harrying heaven and earth To put back April that had borne his birth From sunward on her sunniest shower-struck wing, With tears and laughter for the dew-dropt thing, Slight as indeed a dew-drop, by the sea One met him lovelier than all men may be, God-featured, with god's eyes; and in their might Somewhat that drew men's own to mar their sight, Even of all eyes drawn toward him: and his mouth Was as the very rose of all men's youth, One rose of all the rose-beds in the world: But round his brows the curls were snakes that curled, And like his tongue a serpent's; and his voice Speaks death, and bids rejoice. Yet then he spake no word, seeming as dumb, A dumb thing mild and hurtless; nor at first From his bowed eyes seemed any light to come, Nor his meek lips for blood or tears to thirst: But as one blind and mute in mild sweet wise Pleading for pity of piteous lips and eyes, He strayed with faint bare lily-lovely feet Helpless, and flowerlike sweet: Nor might man see, not having word hereof, That this of all gods was the great god Love. And seeing him lovely and like a little child That wellnigh wept for wonder that it smiled And was so feeble and fearful, with soft speech The youth bespake him softly; but there fell From the sweet lips no sweet word audible That ear or thought might reach: No sound to make the dim cold silence glad, No breath to thaw the hard harsh air with heat; Only the saddest smile of all things sweet, Only the sweetest smile of all things sad. And so they went together one green way Till April dying made free the world for May; And on his guide suddenly Love's face turned, And in his blind eyes burned Hard light and heat of laughter; and like flame That opens in a mountain's ravening mouth To blear and sear the sunlight from the south, His mute mouth opened, and his first word came: 'Knowest thou me now by name?' And all his stature waxed immeasurable, As of one shadowing heaven and lightening hell; And statelier stood he than a tower that stands And darkens with its darkness far-off sands Whereon the sky leans red; And with a voice that stilled the winds he said: 'I am he that was thy lord before thy birth, I am he that is thy lord till thou turn earth: I make the night more dark, and all the morrow Dark as the night whose darkness was my breath: O fool, my name is sorrow; Thou fool, my name is death.' And he that heard spake not, and looked right on Again, and Love was gone.