Nor any thought of sea, or earth, or air, Shall cast a shade on thee, That art so clear and white-so visionary fair! Or utterly deface and ruin, So delicate a thought! For once I lost myself in dreams unholy, Catching my whispers gently as they fell, As warm and true as any heart could fashion, But all unmeet for thee to hear, That hast thy realm so far above The region of an earthly love! I bade her tell it thee in murmurs sweet, But she was mute; She would not babble of an earthly suit : And well it was; for had she spoken, The spell of all thy beauties had been broken; And thou hadst been no more The glorious thing that thou hadst been before. So did I in my hour of folly, I will not stoop thee to an earthly level! To thy undoing! But I will woo thee as may best beseem, Thou shalt visit, with me, on joyous wing, If thy pleasure lies In the azure skies, Thou shalt soar up on high, Far into the sky, Upon the wild fire, With a spirit of joy that never can tire. Now swift with a swoop like a hawk we will fly, Now float on the warm air quietly. We will mix with a host of spirits with fair and wond'rous faces, And laugh with them in their glee, and join in their rapturous races. And all the while, what thing soe'er betide, A gentle maid, thou shalt in me confide, Laughing with thee, bright form, loud laughing at thy side. There's joy in the ocean, The lover believes it! No pillow So soft as the soft heaving billow, No pleasure So sweet as the song and the measure That ocean will sing to us, love, as we lie; Tho' his voice be rough, He'll sing us to sleep when we've laugh'd long enough. Then haste thee, bright maiden, quick haste thee to me; We'll away, love, away, to the great ocean sea. Come in a robe of softest green, And coral beads array'd; Thy long hairs flowing loose without a braid, Away, love, away, G We'll live in a smooth, green, glassy cave, And a watery floor A house that needs not any door Or window to let in the day; But thro' the lucent wave a green light makes its way. We'll live in a soft-echoing cave, Made by the avenued wave; As an avenue long and green and gay, Except a point where its long sides blend. A double life shall be our's by day; A sweet half sleep,— A soothing slumber not too deep, We might, but oh! we would not be without it! It will be sweet to soothe our very glee; In the soft rapture of a felt repose. The moon shall glisten thro' the clear green wave And we will slumber in our ocean cave. Or if so wild a scheme Shall haply seem Less suited to thy gentler mood; We'll live together in a distant wood, That no one knows, A pleasant spot where many a streamlet flows, And many a wild flower grows. Oh, not a wood-call it a woody vale! For us alone awarded, A safe spot, guarded Of giant hills that stand around; Their hoar heads mixing with the blue profound; Where the old raven and sea-eagle flies. An old forgotten Babylonian court! And will you not live in a quiet vale, With a little boat for your dear sake: And will you not live in a vale like this, And meekly join in songs of love With the full-hearted turtle-dove? And will you not, with me, fulfil The visions we form'd when we knew no ill? The infant hopes-but need I tell The flowery thoughts I loved so well; And hast not thou full often dwelt On hopes which made thy young heart melt? Nay, Mary, look not in my face, With such a smile-such gentle sadness, Hiding thy meek tears in the veil of gladness; Now I am with thee, love, to calm thy fears, And didst thou fear my loyalty? "Twas but a radiant butterfly, An unsubstantial thing— All glittering bright with many a gaudy hue; And might I not pursue, O'er earth, and air, and sea, with wildest wandering? Dear girl, when thou, with pleasant tears, Softly confessed thy love, so long conceal'd, Thy heart to me, whom nature gave to inherit E'en then I hush'd to rest, Thy gentle fears confest That thou didst love my wings of poetry, |