Tasso and the Sisters Tasso's Spirit: The Nuptials of Juno: The Skeletons: The Spirits of the Ocean. Poems, By Thomas Wade |
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 | Tasso and the Sisters |  |
“Far distant strains of music sounded
Along the weltering Sea;
Old Ocean from his slumber bounded,
Swept forth the winds in glee:
The tempest-spirits shouted loud
And call'd their dull clouds from the deep;—
The clouds appear'd and threw their shroud
Across the moon, with dark'ning sweep.
The stars look'd mad, and shrunk behind
The black veil of the cloudy sky;
The thunder mingled with the wind,
And the wild lightning laugh'd on high:
And a vast meteor cleft the air,
Swiftly hurrying on its way,
Displaying by its sullen glare
The darkness it could not allay:
And music beautiful was flowing
Around the meteor, as it sped,
Until it paus'd and hover'd, glowing,
Bright o'er a rock's majestic head.
Along the weltering Sea;
Old Ocean from his slumber bounded,
Swept forth the winds in glee:
The tempest-spirits shouted loud
And call'd their dull clouds from the deep;—
The clouds appear'd and threw their shroud
Across the moon, with dark'ning sweep.
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The black veil of the cloudy sky;
The thunder mingled with the wind,
And the wild lightning laugh'd on high:
And a vast meteor cleft the air,
Swiftly hurrying on its way,
Displaying by its sullen glare
The darkness it could not allay:
And music beautiful was flowing
Around the meteor, as it sped,
Until it paus'd and hover'd, glowing,
Bright o'er a rock's majestic head.
“Sing to the winds! Its light was shining
Over an infant Child asleep;
Nor could the winds and waves, combining,
Break on its placid slumbers deep.
Calm was its rest as the tears which lie
In eyes by young love lighted;
Still as the joy sweet sounds supply
To hearts by sorrow blighted;
Mute as the leaves of April gay
Lie, when the winds in caves repose;
As air, when o'er the sunny Day
The waves of Ocean gently close:
It slept upon its rugged pillow,
Among the sea-beat rocks,
And dampness, rising from the billow,
Bedew'd its auburn locks.
Over an infant Child asleep;
Nor could the winds and waves, combining,
Break on its placid slumbers deep.
Calm was its rest as the tears which lie
In eyes by young love lighted;
Still as the joy sweet sounds supply
To hearts by sorrow blighted;
Mute as the leaves of April gay
Lie, when the winds in caves repose;
As air, when o'er the sunny Day
The waves of Ocean gently close:
It slept upon its rugged pillow,
Among the sea-beat rocks,
And dampness, rising from the billow,
Bedew'd its auburn locks.
“Sing to the winds! That Infant slept,
More calm than other calm things are;
Nor heard the winds that round it swept,
Nor the fierce thunder's voice afar:
But louder still than winds e'er blew
Was heard a voice of sadness;
O'er the wide Ocean Spirits flew,
And lash'd the waves to madness:—
Both long and loud the voice of woe,
And deep the silence that ensued;—
The winds awhile forgot to blow,
Awhile the billows were subdued:
But soon they re-assum'd their wrath,
And that sad voice broke forth again,
And thro' the Ocean's watery path
Pass'd a white steed with flowing mane.
And on his back the Courser bore
A Master of immortal race;—
A Spirit of the Sea, who wore
Eternal sorrow on his face.
More calm than other calm things are;
Nor heard the winds that round it swept,
Nor the fierce thunder's voice afar:
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Was heard a voice of sadness;
O'er the wide Ocean Spirits flew,
And lash'd the waves to madness:—
Both long and loud the voice of woe,
And deep the silence that ensued;—
The winds awhile forgot to blow,
Awhile the billows were subdued:
But soon they re-assum'd their wrath,
And that sad voice broke forth again,
And thro' the Ocean's watery path
Pass'd a white steed with flowing mane.
And on his back the Courser bore
A Master of immortal race;—
A Spirit of the Sea, who wore
Eternal sorrow on his face.
“Sing to the winds! The snorting steed
Dash'd thro' the waves with fiery speed;—
And where he came they roll'd aside,
As if he ruled their raging tide:
He neigh'd in answer to their roar;
He shook his mane—they foam'd the more.
And proudly now the steed drew on
To where the burning meteor shone;
The rock was gain'd, submissive grown,
The Steed his graceful neck bent down,
His mane upon the billows spread
And let them idly lave his head.
The Master spoke a magic word—
By ministers unseen 'twas heard,
And airy forms of Sprites, that dwell
On rocks and plains invisible,
Throng'd o'er the Infant, without number,
To watch him waking from his slumber:
He woke—and stretch'd his little hands
Unto those gay, fantastic bands,
Who gently rais'd him in their arms,
Delighted with his infant charms,
And, with songs of sweetest mirth,
Slowly bore him from the earth;
The spreading meteor o'er the whole
In semblance of a halo stole,
As if the Moon, in darkness hid,
In kind concern had deign'd to bid
The wondrous ring which oft around
Her pathway in the skies is found
To circle that melodious throng
And light them in their course along.
Dash'd thro' the waves with fiery speed;—
And where he came they roll'd aside,
As if he ruled their raging tide:
He neigh'd in answer to their roar;
He shook his mane—they foam'd the more.
And proudly now the steed drew on
To where the burning meteor shone;
The rock was gain'd, submissive grown,
The Steed his graceful neck bent down,
His mane upon the billows spread
And let them idly lave his head.
The Master spoke a magic word—
By ministers unseen 'twas heard,
And airy forms of Sprites, that dwell
On rocks and plains invisible,
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To watch him waking from his slumber:
He woke—and stretch'd his little hands
Unto those gay, fantastic bands,
Who gently rais'd him in their arms,
Delighted with his infant charms,
And, with songs of sweetest mirth,
Slowly bore him from the earth;
The spreading meteor o'er the whole
In semblance of a halo stole,
As if the Moon, in darkness hid,
In kind concern had deign'd to bid
The wondrous ring which oft around
Her pathway in the skies is found
To circle that melodious throng
And light them in their course along.
“Sing to the winds! The meteor's ray
And the gay Sprites have pass'd away;
The Steed dash'd onward as before,
And still his gloomy Master bore,
Beneath whose eye and on whose breast
The Infant was again at rest,
Unheeding in its tranquil sleep
Of the loud tumult of the Deep.
And the gay Sprites have pass'd away;
The Steed dash'd onward as before,
And still his gloomy Master bore,
Beneath whose eye and on whose breast
The Infant was again at rest,
Unheeding in its tranquil sleep
Of the loud tumult of the Deep.
“As the weapon of the quiver,
When flying from the bow;
As a light bark down a river,
Whose waters briskly flow;
As a bird that seeks the dwelling
Where its little ones repose;
As a torrent, quickly swelling,
Foaming down a mountain goes:—
So swiftly dash'd the milk-white Steed
Thro' the wide waters in his speed,
Until he reached the distant wave
From whence he first had risen,
Then a loud snort the Courser gave
And sought his former prison—
Down—down he sank—the waters wild
Clos'd o'er the Spirit, Steed and Child.
When flying from the bow;
As a light bark down a river,
Whose waters briskly flow;
As a bird that seeks the dwelling
Where its little ones repose;
As a torrent, quickly swelling,
Foaming down a mountain goes:—
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Thro' the wide waters in his speed,
Until he reached the distant wave
From whence he first had risen,
Then a loud snort the Courser gave
And sought his former prison—
Down—down he sank—the waters wild
Clos'd o'er the Spirit, Steed and Child.
“And oft the Dwellers of Ocean sung
To that sweet Boy,—
And he would listen and lend his tongue
To words of joy.
In sparkling caves,
Beneath the waves,
They laid him among the gems of the Sea—
And saw him smile
And look the while
More lovely than ever a gem could be.
To that sweet Boy,—
And he would listen and lend his tongue
To words of joy.
In sparkling caves,
Beneath the waves,
They laid him among the gems of the Sea—
And saw him smile
And look the while
More lovely than ever a gem could be.
“Sing to the winds! That Infant now
Hath manhood written on his brow;
And darker tints o'erspread his hair;
His eyes are dark—his forehead fair;—
And he hath gather'd from his Sire
A Spirit's might, a Spirit's fire,
And knowledge of all things that live
Beyond what mortal lips can give:
He reads the language which the skies
Display before unearthly eyes,
And all the mysteries that dwell
On Earth, or in the Ocean's cell.
Sing to the winds! the Spirit's Child
Is, as his Father, skill'd and wild.”
Hath manhood written on his brow;
And darker tints o'erspread his hair;
His eyes are dark—his forehead fair;—
And he hath gather'd from his Sire
A Spirit's might, a Spirit's fire,
And knowledge of all things that live
Beyond what mortal lips can give:
He reads the language which the skies
Display before unearthly eyes,
And all the mysteries that dwell
On Earth, or in the Ocean's cell.
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Is, as his Father, skill'd and wild.”
| Tasso and the Sisters | |