Poems and Songs By Robert Gilfillan. Fourth edition. With memoir of the author, and appendix of his latest pieces |
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THE MARINER TO HIS BARK. |
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 | Poems and Songs |  |
74
THE MARINER TO HIS BARK.
O! my bark, dost thou long to be free,
That thou chaf'st thus thy keel on the sand?
Then, away! for I love to career it with thee,
Far away, far away from the land.
We shall traverse where nought meets the eye,
Save the green wave, or high flashing spray;
Where no sound, save the wild wheeling sea-bird's lone cry,
Screaming welcome to us on our way.
That thou chaf'st thus thy keel on the sand?
Then, away! for I love to career it with thee,
Far away, far away from the land.
We shall traverse where nought meets the eye,
Save the green wave, or high flashing spray;
Where no sound, save the wild wheeling sea-bird's lone cry,
Screaming welcome to us on our way.
Let us haste, for the light breeze is near
That shall waft us o'er yon summer sea;
By the sun, bright and clear, our wild course we shall steer,
And the stars our night compass shall be.
Then, away! my swift bark, o'er the deep,
Bound along o'er the vast rolling main;
Like an eagle across the broad wave thou wilt sweep,
And return to thine eyry again.
That shall waft us o'er yon summer sea;
By the sun, bright and clear, our wild course we shall steer,
And the stars our night compass shall be.
Then, away! my swift bark, o'er the deep,
Bound along o'er the vast rolling main;
Like an eagle across the broad wave thou wilt sweep,
And return to thine eyry again.
75
Many tempests have braved been by thee,
Where no haven of shelter was nigh;
Thou hast plunged thy bold prow in each wave of the sea,
Spread thy white flag beneath every sky.
Is there bliss to be found in this world?
O! that bliss I can tell where to find,—
On thy deck, my tight bark, with thy sails all unfurled,
And thou shooting away 'fore the wind!
Where no haven of shelter was nigh;
Thou hast plunged thy bold prow in each wave of the sea,
Spread thy white flag beneath every sky.
Is there bliss to be found in this world?
O! that bliss I can tell where to find,—
On thy deck, my tight bark, with thy sails all unfurled,
And thou shooting away 'fore the wind!
O! I dreamed, in my night-troubled sleep,
That our loved ocean wand'rings were o'er;
Unheeded, I sank in the dark stormy deep,
And thou lay a frail wreck on the shore!
But away with such visions as these,
When thy true helm I thus grasp again;
Thou art leaving behind thee thy track on the seas,
And our home is the far distant main!
That our loved ocean wand'rings were o'er;
Unheeded, I sank in the dark stormy deep,
And thou lay a frail wreck on the shore!
But away with such visions as these,
When thy true helm I thus grasp again;
Thou art leaving behind thee thy track on the seas,
And our home is the far distant main!
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