To Dr Joachim

Not for thine art, not for thy heaven-taught hand
Waking again into the breathing present
With tremulous bow the passion of the Past,
Stealing with mild and subtle melody
The speechless speech of soul-dissolving sound;
Not for thy gift, O great Enchanter, but
For that which makes thy gift a sacrament
To all dim hearts, and yearning hearts, and strong.
The Freeborn impulse and the child-like soul
Towards all Beauty and all form and thought:
For this we love thee — and would learn of thee
The inner worship of a listening heart
Seizing in darkest and most saddest themes
The eternal self endowing Harmonies.

— Found amongst Joachim’s uncatalogued papers in the Newberry Library, Chicago.

Likely by Alice Buckton. “Das Sonnett von Miss Buckton muß ich liegen lassen haben; sei so gut es gelegentlich mitzuschicken. Vergiß es nicht, denn ich schätze es sehr.” (Joachim to his brother Heinrich, Berlin, den 19ten August 1889. Brahms-Institut Lübeck Signatur: Joa : B1 : 540 Inv.-Nr.: 1991.2.89.15)