 | Nacoochee ; or, the beautiful star, with other Poems |  |
XXVIII.
And the warrior lay by the river deep,
Where the thunders cradled his soul to sleep;
And he dreamed he saw in the realms of heaven,
A thousand stars from their centres driven!
And descending on through eternal years,
With his spirit scathed by the rolling spheres!
He was borne away on a sea-sick cloud,
Where the thunders pawed on his soul aloud,
To an ice-berg car in the raging sea,
Where he tossed from Time to Eternity!
And in whose deep gulf he was doomed to lie
With the living death that shall never die!
When an angel rose from the coral caves,
And scattered pearl on the chiming waves!
For her hands had culled from the ruby cells
The richest gem that in ocean dwells!
And she sate her down on the distant shore,
And attuned her harp to the wild sea's roar—
For the song she sang was the one that burst
On his very soul when she met him first!
Where the thunders cradled his soul to sleep;
And he dreamed he saw in the realms of heaven,
A thousand stars from their centres driven!
And descending on through eternal years,
With his spirit scathed by the rolling spheres!
He was borne away on a sea-sick cloud,
Where the thunders pawed on his soul aloud,
To an ice-berg car in the raging sea,
Where he tossed from Time to Eternity!
And in whose deep gulf he was doomed to lie
With the living death that shall never die!
When an angel rose from the coral caves,
And scattered pearl on the chiming waves!
For her hands had culled from the ruby cells
The richest gem that in ocean dwells!
And she sate her down on the distant shore,
And attuned her harp to the wild sea's roar—
For the song she sang was the one that burst
On his very soul when she met him first!
“By the light that falls on the foaming sea,
Oh! maiden bright! come away to me!
By the perjured vows that the maiden bore,
Oh, Spirit! come from that blessed shore!
By the torment felt by the damned in hell,
Oh, Spirit! come from that coral cell!
By the sorrows known to the soul in wo,
Oh, Spirit! come to my home below!
By the many prayers of the deathless dead,
Oh, Spirit! come to my sinking head!”
Oh! maiden bright! come away to me!
By the perjured vows that the maiden bore,
Oh, Spirit! come from that blessed shore!
By the torment felt by the damned in hell,
Oh, Spirit! come from that coral cell!
136
Oh, Spirit! come to my home below!
By the many prayers of the deathless dead,
Oh, Spirit! come to my sinking head!”
And he cried aloud for that angel's hand,
But she sate and smiled on the coral strand.
And around him clung, with an ivy grasp,
A huge sea-snake which he could not grasp!
And its crunching coil on his writhing frame,
Like the scorpion girt by the lashing flame—
Ten thousand times round his body clung,
And impierced his soul with its forked tongue!
When, at last, she rose from the sacred spot,
And ascended on—for she heeded not—
Where he never more shall behold his bride—
For his doom was sealed when his Lena died!
And no aid shall come till his chains are riven
By the mightiest King in the realms of heaven.
But she sate and smiled on the coral strand.
And around him clung, with an ivy grasp,
A huge sea-snake which he could not grasp!
And its crunching coil on his writhing frame,
Like the scorpion girt by the lashing flame—
Ten thousand times round his body clung,
And impierced his soul with its forked tongue!
When, at last, she rose from the sacred spot,
And ascended on—for she heeded not—
Where he never more shall behold his bride—
For his doom was sealed when his Lena died!
And no aid shall come till his chains are riven
By the mightiest King in the realms of heaven.
| Nacoochee ; or, the beautiful star, with other Poems | |