 | Tiresias |  |
72
“‘Farewell awhile, O earth, my gladness
Rising in delicious madness
Thro' the sunshine deigns no pause
Because
The wells of joy rise faster than my flight,
And overflow in sparkles of delight,
Around the air
And every where,
Till quivering downward tremblingly they fall
On gazing listeners, and their hearts enthrall.
Rising in delicious madness
Thro' the sunshine deigns no pause
Because
The wells of joy rise faster than my flight,
And overflow in sparkles of delight,
Around the air
And every where,
Till quivering downward tremblingly they fall
On gazing listeners, and their hearts enthrall.
“‘She watches me, my mate, admiring
While higher yet I soar untiring,
Till evanishing in day's
Bright rays,
She can but hear a rapturous voice she knows
Her praises tuning, and with praising grows
Prouder, and sings
The tender things
Of her first shyness, my approaches keen;
She best loves hearing as I sing unseen.
While higher yet I soar untiring,
Till evanishing in day's
Bright rays,
She can but hear a rapturous voice she knows
Her praises tuning, and with praising grows
Prouder, and sings
The tender things
Of her first shyness, my approaches keen;
She best loves hearing as I sing unseen.
73
“‘But love is lost in loftiest air,
The scenes of earth however fair!
Where, as often they distress
As bless.
I range the blue illimitable dome,
Smiling familiarity of home;
Here I forget
The fowler's net,
And by immortal longing flushed, aspire
To ever mount, urged onward winged with fire!
The scenes of earth however fair!
Where, as often they distress
As bless.
I range the blue illimitable dome,
Smiling familiarity of home;
Here I forget
The fowler's net,
And by immortal longing flushed, aspire
To ever mount, urged onward winged with fire!
“‘But no; tho' very heaven is near,
Temptations of the earth are dear!
I must take the pleasant heed
To feed
The mouths agape so wide and frequently,
With her cool sheltered under canopy
Of playful sheen
Where grasses lean
Over the little nest that rings her scope
Of happiness anear, and steadfast hope.
Temptations of the earth are dear!
I must take the pleasant heed
To feed
The mouths agape so wide and frequently,
With her cool sheltered under canopy
Of playful sheen
Where grasses lean
Over the little nest that rings her scope
Of happiness anear, and steadfast hope.
74
“‘Now sing I downward and behold
Her wings our callow young enfold.
In suspense I poise above
My Love,
Her soft contented eye upon me fixt;
As shaking trills of exultation mixt
With plainings lone
Of something gone,
I chant of glory that may never come;
Or come when wings are closed and utterance dumb!
Her wings our callow young enfold.
In suspense I poise above
My Love,
Her soft contented eye upon me fixt;
As shaking trills of exultation mixt
With plainings lone
Of something gone,
I chant of glory that may never come;
Or come when wings are closed and utterance dumb!
“‘So peacefully she sits her nest,
Alighting would her calm molest;
Therefore now again aloft,
Where oft
Have I beheld the sinking sun, I rise!
I bathe my being in these golden skies,
Where fire and gloom
Announce the doom
Of yet another day to sink in night,
Bequeathing traces of celestial light.
Alighting would her calm molest;
Therefore now again aloft,
Where oft
Have I beheld the sinking sun, I rise!
I bathe my being in these golden skies,
Where fire and gloom
Announce the doom
75
Bequeathing traces of celestial light.
“‘Now pallid gleams of twilight shrink
In dusk beyond the ocean's brink;
And from the ocean gloom assails
The vales,
And lies a level blank on tended crops,
And masses mountains to their wooded tops.
So I will cease
And, deep in peace
Nestle beside my Love to rest, and dream
My flight to-morrow hails the morning beam!’”
In dusk beyond the ocean's brink;
And from the ocean gloom assails
The vales,
And lies a level blank on tended crops,
And masses mountains to their wooded tops.
So I will cease
And, deep in peace
Nestle beside my Love to rest, and dream
My flight to-morrow hails the morning beam!’”
| Tiresias | |