For Once, Then, Something OTHERS taunt me with having knelt at well-curbs Always wrong to the light, so never seeing Deeper down in the well than where the water Gives me back in a shining surface picture My myself in the summer heaven, godlike Looking out of a wreath of fern and cloud puffs Once, when trying with chin against a well-curb, I discerned, as I thought, beyond the picture, Through the picture, a something white, uncertain, Something more of the depths and then I lost it Water came to rebuke the too clear water One drop fell from a fern, and lo, a ripple Shook whatever it was lay there at bottom, Blurred it, blotted it out What was that whiteness? Truth? A pebble of quartz? For once, then, something fə wʌns | ðen | sʌmθɪŋ | ʌðəz tɔːnt mi wɪð hævɪŋ nelt ət wel kɜ:bz | ɔːlw(e)ɪz rɒŋ tə ðə laɪt | səʊ nevə siːɪŋ | diːpə dɑʊn ɪn ðə wel ðən weə ðə wɔːtə | ɡɪvz mi bæk ɪn ə ʃaɪnɪŋ sɜːfɪs pɪktʃə | mi: maɪself ɪn ðə sʌmə hevn̩ | ɡɒdlaɪk | lʊkɪŋ ɑʊt əv ə riːθ əv fɜːn ən(d) klɑʊd pʌfs | wʌns | wen traiɪŋ wɪð tʃɪn əɡenst ə wel kɜ:b| aɪ dɪsɜːnd | əz aɪ θɔːt | bɪjɒn(d) ðə pɪktʃə | θruː ðə pɪktʃə | ə sʌmθɪŋ waɪt | ʌnsɜːtn̩ | sʌmθɪŋ mɔːr əv ðə depθs| ən ðen aɪ lɒst ɪt | wɔːtə keɪm tə rɪbjuːk ðə tuː klɪə wɔːtə | wʌn drɒp fel fr(ə)m ə fɜːn | ən(d) ləʊ | ə rɪpl̩ | ʃʊk wɒtevər ɪt wəz leɪ ðeər ət bɒtəm | blɜːd ɪt | blɒtɪd ɪt ɑʊt | wɒt wɒz ðæt waɪtnɪs | truːθ | ə pebl̩ əv kwɔːts | fə wʌns | ðen | sʌmθɪŋ ROBERT LEE FROST