When the first matin-song hath waken'd loud Forth gushes from beneath a low-hung cloud. 5. Large dowries doth the raptured eye To the young spirit present When first she is wed; And like a bride of old In triumph led, With music and sweet showers Or festal flowers, Unto the dwelling she must sway. Place it, where sweetest sunlight falls For the discovery And newness of thine art so pleased thee, On the prime labor of thine early days: No matter what the sketch might be; Whether the high field on the bushless Pike, Of heaped hills that mound the sea, Or even a lowly cottage whence we see Stretch'd wide and wild the waste enormous marsh, Where from the frequent bridge, Like emblems of infinity, The trenched waters run from sky to sky; Or a garden bower'd close With plaited alleys of the trailing rose, Long alleys falling down to twilight grots, Or opening upon level plots Of crowned lilies, standing near Purple-spiked lavender; Whither in after life retired From brawling storms, From weary wind, With youthful fancy reinspired, We may hold converse with all forms Of the many-sided mind, And those whom passion hath not blinded, Subtle-thoughted, myriad-minded, My friend, with you to live alone, Were how much better than to own A crown, a sceptre, and a throne! O strengthen me, enlighten me! I faint in this obscurity, Thou dewy dawn of memory. SONG. 1 A SPIRIT haunts the year's last hours To himself he talks; For at eventide, listening earnestly, At his work you may hear him sob and sigh In the walks ; Earthward he boweth the heavy staiks Of the mouldering flowers: Heavily hangs the broad sunflower Over its grave i' the earth so chilly; 2. The air is damp, and hush'd, and close, My very heart faints and my whole soul grieves And the breath Of the fading edges of box beneath, And the year's last rose. Heavily hangs the broad sunflower ADELINE. 1. MYSTERY of mysteries, Faintly smiling Adeline, Scarce of earth nor all divine, Nor unhappy, nor at rest, But beyond expression fair With thy floating flaxen hair; Thy rose-lips and full blue eyes Take the heart from out my breast. Wherefore those dim looks of thine, Shadowy, dreaming Adeline! 2. Whence that aery bloom of thine, And a rose-bush leans upon, Ere the placid lips be cold? 3. What hope or fear or joy is thine? For sure thou art not all alone: Do beating hearts of salient springs Keep measure with thine own? Hast thou heard the butterflies, With what voice the violet woos Or when little airs arise, How the merry bluebell rings To the mosses underneath? Hast thou look'd upon the breath Wherefore that faint smile of thine, 4. Some honey-converse feeds thy mind, Some spirit of a crimson rose in love with thee forgets to close His curtains, wasting odorous sighs All night long on darkness blind. What aileth thee? whom waitest thou With thy soften'd, shadow'd brow, And those dew-lit eyes of thiue. 5. Lovest thou the doleful wind In the heart of the garden the merry bird chants, It would fall to the ground if you came in. In the middle leaps a fountain Like sheet lightning, Ever brightening With a low melodious thunder; All day and all night it is ever drawn Which stands in the distance yonder : And the mountain draws it from Heaven above, THE SEA-FAIRIES. SLOW Sail'd the weary mariners and saw, Betwixt the green brink and the running foam, Sweet faces, rounded arms, and bosoms prest To little harps of gold; and while they mused, Whispering to each other half in fear, Shrill music reach'd them on the middle sea. Whither away, whither away, whither away? fly no more. Whither away from the high green field, and the happy blossoming shore? Day and night to the billow the fountain calls; From wandering over the lea: Out of the live-green heart of the dells They freshen the silvery-crimson shells, And thick with white bells the clover-hill swells O hither, come hither and furl your sails, Hither, come hither and frolic and play; Here it is only the mew that wails; We will sing to you all the day: Mariner, mariner, furl your sails, For here are the blissful downs and dales, Over the islands free; And the rainbow lives in the curve of the sand; Hither, come hither and see; And the rainbow hangs on the poising wave, And sweet is the color of cove and cave, And sweet shall your welcome be: O hither, come hither, and be our lords, For merry brides are we: We will kiss sweet kisses, and speak sweet words : O listen, listen, your eyes shall glisten Who can light on as happy a shore All the world o'er, all the world o'er? Whither away? listen and stay: mariner, mariner fly no more. THE DESERTED HOUSE. 1. LIFE and Thought have gone away Side by side, Leaving door and windows wide. Careless tenants they! 2. All within is dark as night: 3. Close the door, the shutters close, Or thro' the windows we shall see Of the dark deserted house. The wild swan's death-hymn took the soul As when a mighty people rejoice, With shawms, and with cymbals, and harps of gold, And the tumult of their acclaim is roll'd Thro' the open gates of the city afar, To the shepherd who watcheth the evening star. A DIRGE. 1. Now is done thy long day's work; Fold thy palms across thy breast, Fold thine arms, turn to thy rest. Let them rave. Shadows of the silver birk Sweep the green that folds thy grave. Let them rave. 2. Thee nor carketh care nor slander; Light and shadow ever wander 3. Thou wilt not turn upon thy bed; Thou wilt never raise thine head 4. Crocodiles wept tears for thee; The woodbine and eglatere Drip sweeter dews than traitor's tear. Rain makes music in the tree 5. Round thee blow, self-pleached deep, These in every shower creep 6. The gold-eyed kingcups fine; 7. Wild words wander here and there; God's great gift of speech abused Makes thy memory confused: But let them rave. The balm-cricket carols clear LOVE AND DEATH. WHAT time the mighty moon was gathering light Love wept and spread his sheeny vans for flight; Life eminent creates the shade of death; THE BALLAD OF ORIANA. My heart is wasted with my woe, Oriana. There is no rest for me below, Oriana. When the long dun wolds are ribb'd with snow, And loud the Norland whirlwinds blow, Oriana, Alone I wander to and fro, Oriana. Ere the light on dark was growing, Oriana, At midnight the cock was crowing, Oriana: Winds were blowing, waters flowing, We heard the steeds to battle going, Oriana; Aloud the hollow bugle blowing, Oriana. In the yew-wood black as night, Oriana, Ere I rode into the fight, Oriana, While blissful tears blinded my sight By star-shine and by moonlight, Oriana, I to thee my troth did plight, Oriana. She stood upon the castle wall, Oriana: She watch'd my crest among them all, Oriana: She saw me fight, she heard me call, When forth there stept a foeman tall, Oriana, Atween me and the castle wall, Oriana. The bitter arrow went aside, Oriana: The false, false arrow went aside, Oriana: The damned arrow glanced aside, And pierced thy heart, my love, my bride, Oriana! Thy heart, my life, my love, my bride, Oriana! Oh! narrow, narrow was the space, Oriana. Loud, loud rung out the bugle's brays, Oriana. Oh! deathful stabs were dealt apace, The battle deepen'd in its place, Oriana; But I was down upon my face, Oriana. They should have stabb'd me where I lay, Oriana! How could I rise and come away, Oriana? How could I look upon the day? They should have stabb'd me where I lay, Oriana They should have trod me into clay, Oriana. O breaking heart that will not break, Oriana! O pale, pale face so sweet and meek, Oriana! Thou smilest, but thou dost not speak, And then the tears run down my cheek, Oriana: What wantest thou? whom dost thou seek, Oriana? I cry aloud: none hear my cries, Oriana. Thou comest atween me and the skies, Oriana. I feel the tears of blood arise Up from my heart unto my eyes, Oriana. Within thy heart my arrow lies, Oriana. O cursed hand! O cursed biow! O happy thou that liest low, All night the silence seems to flow Oriana. A weary, weary way I go, Oriana. When Norland winds pipe down the sea, Oriana, I walk, I dare not think of thee, Oriana. Thou liest beneath the greenwood tree, I dare not die and come to thee, Oriana. I hear the roaring of the sea, Oriana. CIRCUMSTANCE. Two children in two neighbor villages Two lovers whispering by an orchard wall; THE MERMAN. 1. WHO would be A merman bold, Under the sea, With a crown of gold, On a throne? 2. I would be a merman bold; I would sit and sing the whole of the day; I would fill the sea-halls with a voice of power And then we would wander away, away 3. There would be neither moon nor star. |