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 |  |
Meanwhile o'er the tranquil sea
Past the light bark merrily:—
It cut the water with a speed,
Whose swiftness might all thought exceed;
Nor even left a fleeting track
Upon the billows' stately back,
Which mov'd unruffled still and fast,
As nought above their height had past.—
The light bark flew, nor ought controll'd
The tenor of its arrowy course,—
Swift as a leaf, when onward roll'd
By all the winds' tumultuous force;—
Its painted prow right gayly shone;—
Its sails upon the air were thrown;—
And such a thing minute and gay
It look'd upon its nimble way,
That those who from afar beheld
Its beauty o'er the billows glide,—
By heavenly hands unseen impell'd,
That mov'd around its glitt'ring side,—
Might deem 'twas e'en the Nautilus
Careering o'er the Ocean thus,
All haste to greet the Halcyon's nest,
Constructed on the water's breast,
Once more from travel to repose
And strive to sooth its lov'd-one's woes. —
“How merrily,” young Reumon said,
As on the painted vessel sped,
“Doth my brave bark its pathway trace
“Along the ruffled Ocean's face!—
“A thing more beautiful and swift
“Than ever the dark billows saw
“Across their swelling bosoms drift,
“Obedient to the steersman's law.
“My dark-eyed Love! 'twas made by Sprites
“That move thro' Ocean, as the lights
“Of Heaven on high—'twas made to sweep
“With my dear Beauty o'er the Deep,
“And bear her from an unblest soil,
“Where all was tumult and turmoil,
“Unto a bright and matchless Isle,
“That far across the waves doth smile,
“Array'd in loveliness divine—
“Fair Love! that Island home is mine:—
“I bade the Spirits who do dwell
“Within the Mermaid's coral cell
“Bedeck it all in loveliest guise,
“To charm my Laura's radiant eyes;—
“And they have made it almost vie
“With the rare glory of the sky,
“And fill'd it all with forms as fair
“As those that revel in the air,
“Or skim the sea, or haunt the shade,
“Of leafy grove and forest glade:
“But beauteous as those forms may be,
“Not one may e'er compare with thee,
“And the blest Isle will own a Queen
“Unrivall'd as its matchless scene!”
“How blissfully,” the Maiden said,
As swiftly on the light bark sped,
“Will pass the feather-footed hours
“In that fair Island's lovely bowers!
“How passing sweet 'twill be to list
“To all the sounds which there exist,
“In whisp'ring streams, that wind about
“O'er flow'ry vale and gentle hill;
“In strains, from every grove sent out
“By birds that love the woodland still,
“And, most of all, in song and tune
“Of Spirits, floating 'neath the moon!
“How sweet to wander, side by side,
“Along the banks of each bright tide;
“On verdant fields, that give to view
“Many a flow'rs imperial hue;
“To rest by moolight, in the grove,
“In slumbers, fill'd with dreams of love!
“Now hie thee on, my nimble bark!
“I long that Island fair to mark;—
“Too fast to such a beauteous scene
“Thou canst not bear its happy Queen.”
Past the light bark merrily:—
It cut the water with a speed,
Whose swiftness might all thought exceed;
Nor even left a fleeting track
Upon the billows' stately back,
Which mov'd unruffled still and fast,
As nought above their height had past.—
The light bark flew, nor ought controll'd
The tenor of its arrowy course,—
Swift as a leaf, when onward roll'd
By all the winds' tumultuous force;—
Its painted prow right gayly shone;—
Its sails upon the air were thrown;—
And such a thing minute and gay
It look'd upon its nimble way,
That those who from afar beheld
Its beauty o'er the billows glide,—
By heavenly hands unseen impell'd,
That mov'd around its glitt'ring side,—
Might deem 'twas e'en the Nautilus
Careering o'er the Ocean thus,
All haste to greet the Halcyon's nest,
Constructed on the water's breast,
Once more from travel to repose
And strive to sooth its lov'd-one's woes. —
101
As on the painted vessel sped,
“Doth my brave bark its pathway trace
“Along the ruffled Ocean's face!—
“A thing more beautiful and swift
“Than ever the dark billows saw
“Across their swelling bosoms drift,
“Obedient to the steersman's law.
“My dark-eyed Love! 'twas made by Sprites
“That move thro' Ocean, as the lights
“Of Heaven on high—'twas made to sweep
“With my dear Beauty o'er the Deep,
“And bear her from an unblest soil,
“Where all was tumult and turmoil,
“Unto a bright and matchless Isle,
“That far across the waves doth smile,
“Array'd in loveliness divine—
“Fair Love! that Island home is mine:—
“I bade the Spirits who do dwell
“Within the Mermaid's coral cell
“Bedeck it all in loveliest guise,
“To charm my Laura's radiant eyes;—
“And they have made it almost vie
“With the rare glory of the sky,
“And fill'd it all with forms as fair
“As those that revel in the air,
“Or skim the sea, or haunt the shade,
“Of leafy grove and forest glade:
“But beauteous as those forms may be,
“Not one may e'er compare with thee,
“And the blest Isle will own a Queen
“Unrivall'd as its matchless scene!”
102
As swiftly on the light bark sped,
“Will pass the feather-footed hours
“In that fair Island's lovely bowers!
“How passing sweet 'twill be to list
“To all the sounds which there exist,
“In whisp'ring streams, that wind about
“O'er flow'ry vale and gentle hill;
“In strains, from every grove sent out
“By birds that love the woodland still,
“And, most of all, in song and tune
“Of Spirits, floating 'neath the moon!
“How sweet to wander, side by side,
“Along the banks of each bright tide;
“On verdant fields, that give to view
“Many a flow'rs imperial hue;
“To rest by moolight, in the grove,
“In slumbers, fill'd with dreams of love!
“Now hie thee on, my nimble bark!
“I long that Island fair to mark;—
“Too fast to such a beauteous scene
“Thou canst not bear its happy Queen.”
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