The Cloths of Heaven

This is one of his shortest poems but it also one of his most memorable.  He proclaims his love for Maud Gonne with powerful images.  He  puts all of his poetic prowess on display but it is tempered by his own vulnerability, which probably accounts for it’s enduring charm.

Spoken Word
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light.

I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. 

Other Versions

Recording Notes
Arrangement, recording, guitar and flute Ronan McCauley.