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THE ISLES OF THE SEA FAIRIES.
Among the Isles of the golden Mist,
I lived for many a year;
And all that chanced unto me there
'Tis well that ye should hear.
I lived for many a year;
And all that chanced unto me there
'Tis well that ye should hear.
I dwelt in a hall of silvery pearl,
With rainbow-light inlaid;
I sate on a throne old as the sea,
Of the ruby coral made.
With rainbow-light inlaid;
I sate on a throne old as the sea,
Of the ruby coral made.
The old carbuncle lit the dome,
Where I was made a king;
The crown was wrought of pale sea-gold,
So was my fairy ring.
Where I was made a king;
The crown was wrought of pale sea-gold,
So was my fairy ring.
And she who on my right hand sate
As the morning star was fair;
She was clothed in a robe of shadowy light,
And veiled by her golden hair.
As the morning star was fair;
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And veiled by her golden hair.
They made me king of the Fairy Isles,
That lie in the golden mist,
Where the coral rocks and the silvery sand
By singing waves are kissed.
That lie in the golden mist,
Where the coral rocks and the silvery sand
By singing waves are kissed.
Far off, in the ocean solitudes
They lie, a glorious seven;
Like a beautiful group of sister stars,
In the untraced heights of heaven:
They lie, a glorious seven;
Like a beautiful group of sister stars,
In the untraced heights of heaven:
For the mariner sails them round about,
But he comes them not anigh;
They are hid far off, in a secret place
Of the sea's immensity.
But he comes them not anigh;
They are hid far off, in a secret place
Of the sea's immensity.
Oh beautiful isles! where comes no death,
Where no winter enters in,
Where the fairy race, like the lily flowers,
Do neither toil nor spin!
Where no winter enters in,
Where the fairy race, like the lily flowers,
Do neither toil nor spin!
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Oh beautiful isles! where the coral rocks
Like an ancient temple stand,
Like a temple of wondrous workmanship
For a lofty worship planned!
Like an ancient temple stand,
Like a temple of wondrous workmanship
For a lofty worship planned!
The heights of heaven they roof it in,
O'er-spanned like an azure bow;
And its floor is the living waves of light,
That cover the depths below;
O'er-spanned like an azure bow;
And its floor is the living waves of light,
That cover the depths below;
The unsunned depths of the ancient sea,
Where the fairy kings of old
Stored up, in emerald caverns vast,
Their treasure-hoards and gold.
Where the fairy kings of old
Stored up, in emerald caverns vast,
Their treasure-hoards and gold.
Oh beautiful isles! When the waning moon
Sinks down from the vales of earth,
She rises upon those fairy seas,
And gives their daylight birth.
Sinks down from the vales of earth,
She rises upon those fairy seas,
And gives their daylight birth.
There comes no cloud to dim her ray,
She shines forth pure and bright;
The silver moon she shines by day,
The golden mist by night.
She shines forth pure and bright;
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The golden mist by night.
Oh beautiful isles! And a fairy race,
As the dream of a poet, fair,
Now hold the place by a charmed spell,
With power o'er sea and air.
As the dream of a poet, fair,
Now hold the place by a charmed spell,
With power o'er sea and air.
Their boats are made of the large pearl-shell
That the waters cast to land;
With carvëd prows more richly wrought
Than works of mortal hand.
That the waters cast to land;
With carvëd prows more richly wrought
Than works of mortal hand.
They skim along the silver waves
Without or sail or oar;
Whenever the fairy voyager would,
The pearl ship comes to shore.
Without or sail or oar;
Whenever the fairy voyager would,
The pearl ship comes to shore.
They taught me the song which is their speech,
A tone of love divine;
They set me down to their banquet board,
And poured out fairy wine.
A tone of love divine;
They set me down to their banquet board,
And poured out fairy wine.
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The wine of the old sea-vintage red,
That was made long years ago,
More rich than the blood in kingly veins,
Yet pure and cool as snow.
That was made long years ago,
More rich than the blood in kingly veins,
Yet pure and cool as snow.
I loved that idle life for a time;
But when that time was by,
I pined again for another change,
For the love in a human eye.
But when that time was by,
I pined again for another change,
For the love in a human eye.
They brought me then a glorious form,
And gave her for my bride;
I looked on her, and straight forgot
That I was to earth allied.
And gave her for my bride;
I looked on her, and straight forgot
That I was to earth allied.
I snatched the crown they offered me;
I forgot what I had been;
I snatched the crown to be a king,
That she might be a queen.
I forgot what I had been;
I snatched the crown to be a king,
That she might be a queen.
For many a year and more, I dwelt
In those isles of soft delight;
Where all was kind and beautiful,
With neither death nor night.
In those isles of soft delight;
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With neither death nor night.
We danced on the sands when the silver moon
Through the coral arches gleamed,
And pathways broad of glittering light
O'er the azure waters streamed.
Through the coral arches gleamed,
And pathways broad of glittering light
O'er the azure waters streamed.
Then shot forth many a pearly boat,
Like stars, across the sea;
And songs were sung, and shells were blown
That set wild music free.
Like stars, across the sea;
And songs were sung, and shells were blown
That set wild music free.
For many a year and more, I dwelt
With neither thought nor care,
Till I forgot almost my speech,
Forgot both creed and prayer.
With neither thought nor care,
Till I forgot almost my speech,
Forgot both creed and prayer.
At length it chanced that as my boat
Went on its charmëd way,
I came unto the veil of mist
Which round the Seven Isles lay.
Went on its charmëd way,
I came unto the veil of mist
Which round the Seven Isles lay.
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Even then it was a Sabbath morn;
A ship was passing by,
And I heard a hundred voices raise
A sound of psalmody.
A ship was passing by,
And I heard a hundred voices raise
A sound of psalmody.
A mighty love came o'er my heart,
A yearning toward my kind,
And unwittingly I spoke aloud
The impulse of my mind.
A yearning toward my kind,
And unwittingly I spoke aloud
The impulse of my mind.
“Oh take me hence, ye Christian men!”
I cried in spiritual want;
Anon the golden mist gave way,
That had been like adamant.
I cried in spiritual want;
Anon the golden mist gave way,
That had been like adamant.
The little boat wherein I sate
Seemed all to melt away;
And I was left upon the sea,
Like Peter, in dismay.
Seemed all to melt away;
And I was left upon the sea,
Like Peter, in dismay.
Those Christian mariners, amazed,
Looked on me in affright;
Some cried I was an evil ghost,
And some a water sprite.
Looked on me in affright;
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And some a water sprite.
But the chaplain seized the vessel's boat,
With mercy prompt and boon,
And took me up into the ship
As I fell into a swoon.
With mercy prompt and boon,
And took me up into the ship
As I fell into a swoon.
As one that in delirious dreams
Strange things doth hear and see,
So passed before my mind the shapes
Of this bright heresy.
Strange things doth hear and see,
So passed before my mind the shapes
Of this bright heresy.
In vain I told of what had happed;
No man to me would list;
They jested at the Fairy Isles,
And at the golden mist.
No man to me would list;
They jested at the Fairy Isles,
And at the golden mist.
They swore I was a shipwrecked man,
Tossed on the dreary main;
And pitied me, because they thought
My woes had crazed my brain.
Tossed on the dreary main;
And pitied me, because they thought
My woes had crazed my brain.
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At length when I perceived how dull
The minds of men had grown,
I locked these things within my soul
For my own thought alone.
The minds of men had grown,
I locked these things within my soul
For my own thought alone.
And soon a wondrous thing I saw;
I now was old and grey,
A man of threescore years and ten,
A weak man in decay.
I now was old and grey,
A man of threescore years and ten,
A weak man in decay.
And yesterday, and I was young!
Time did not leave a trace
Upon my form, whilst I abode
Within the charmëd place.
Time did not leave a trace
Upon my form, whilst I abode
Within the charmëd place.
I trembled at the fearful work
Of threescore years and ten;
I asked for love, but I had grown
An alien among men.
Of threescore years and ten;
I asked for love, but I had grown
An alien among men.
I passed among the busy crowds;
I marked their care and pain,
And how they spent their manhood's strength,
To make but little gain.
I marked their care and pain,
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To make but little gain.
I saw besotted men mistake
For gold unworthy clay;
And many more who sell their souls
For the pleasures of a day.
For gold unworthy clay;
And many more who sell their souls
For the pleasures of a day.
I saw how years on years roll on
As a tale that hath been told,
And then at last they start, like me,
To find that they grow old.
As a tale that hath been told,
And then at last they start, like me,
To find that they grow old.
Said I, “These men laugh me to scorn;
My wisdom they resist;
But they themselves abide, like me,
Within a golden mist.
My wisdom they resist;
But they themselves abide, like me,
Within a golden mist.
“Oh, up, and save yourselves! Even now
The ship goes hurrying by;
I hear the hymn of souls redeemed,
Who are bound for eternity!”
The ship goes hurrying by;
I hear the hymn of souls redeemed,
Who are bound for eternity!”
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