 | The Poetical Works of Andrew Lang |  |
227
‘Night on the Sea’
‘Night on the sea, and night upon the sky,
And music in our hearts, we floated there,
Lulled by the low sea voices, thou and I,
And the wind's kisses in my cloudy hair:
And thou didst gaze on me and call me fair
Enfolded by the starry robe of night;—
And then thy singing thrilled upon the air,
Voice of the heart's desire and love's delight.’
And music in our hearts, we floated there,
Lulled by the low sea voices, thou and I,
And the wind's kisses in my cloudy hair:
And thou didst gaze on me and call me fair
Enfolded by the starry robe of night;—
And then thy singing thrilled upon the air,
Voice of the heart's desire and love's delight.’
‘Adrift, with starlit skies above,
With starlit seas below,
We move with all the suns that move,
With all the seas that flow;
For bond or free, earth, sky, and sea,
Wheel with one circling will;
And thy heart drifteth on to me,
And only time stands still.
With starlit seas below,
We move with all the suns that move,
With all the seas that flow;
For bond or free, earth, sky, and sea,
Wheel with one circling will;
And thy heart drifteth on to me,
And only time stands still.
228
‘Between two shores of death we drift,
Behind are things forgot:
Before the tide is driving swift
To lands beholden not.
Above, the sky is far and cold;
Below, the moaning sea
Sweeps o'er the loves that were of old,
But, oh, love! kiss thou me.
Behind are things forgot:
Before the tide is driving swift
To lands beholden not.
Above, the sky is far and cold;
Below, the moaning sea
Sweeps o'er the loves that were of old,
But, oh, love! kiss thou me.
‘Ah, lonely are the ocean ways,
And dangerous the deep;
And frail the fairy barque that strays
Above the seas asleep!
Ah, toil no more at sail nor oar,
We drift, or bond or free;
On yon far shore the breakers roar,
But, oh, love! kiss thou me.
And dangerous the deep;
And frail the fairy barque that strays
Above the seas asleep!
Ah, toil no more at sail nor oar,
We drift, or bond or free;
On yon far shore the breakers roar,
But, oh, love! kiss thou me.
‘Ah, lonely are the ocean ways,
And dangerous the deep;
And frail the fairy barque that strays
Above the seas asleep!
Ah, toil no more at sail nor oar,
We drift, or bond or free;
On yon far shore the breakers roar,
But, oh, love! kiss thou me.’
And dangerous the deep;
And frail the fairy barque that strays
Above the seas asleep!
Ah, toil no more at sail nor oar,
We drift, or bond or free;
On yon far shore the breakers roar,
But, oh, love! kiss thou me.’
‘And ever as thou sangest I drew near,
Then sudden silence heard our hearts that beat;
For now there was an end of doubt and fear,
Now passion filled my soul and led my feet;
Then silent didst thou rise thy love to meet,
Who, sinking on thy breast, knew naught but thee,
And in the happy night I kissed thee, sweet;
Ah, sweet! between the starlight and the sea.’
Then sudden silence heard our hearts that beat;
For now there was an end of doubt and fear,
Now passion filled my soul and led my feet;
Then silent didst thou rise thy love to meet,
Who, sinking on thy breast, knew naught but thee,
And in the happy night I kissed thee, sweet;
Ah, sweet! between the starlight and the sea.’
| The Poetical Works of Andrew Lang | |