 | The Collected Poems of Lord De Tabley |  |
THE OLD EARL
An ancient Earl of high renown,
Lived near the sounding main,
By fisher town and terraced down,
And miles of purple plain.
Lived near the sounding main,
By fisher town and terraced down,
And miles of purple plain.
The time-worn castle where he dwelt
For ages long had stood;
As an eagle gray, who waits his prey,
Above the roaring flood.
For ages long had stood;
As an eagle gray, who waits his prey,
Above the roaring flood.
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And he looked along the water
At e'en and morning prime—
And he heard the breezes waft him
Lays of the ancient time.
At e'en and morning prime—
And he heard the breezes waft him
Lays of the ancient time.
And he looked across the ocean
As each new day went on;
Till far from sight on the sea-birds flight
His soul would fain begone—
As each new day went on;
Till far from sight on the sea-birds flight
His soul would fain begone—
“In notes of some remembered song
The sea-sound seems to weep.
And buried fears are in my ears,
As I gaze along the deep.
The sea-sound seems to weep.
And buried fears are in my ears,
As I gaze along the deep.
“The riddles of our life and fate
Flash up from restless waves,
When sun-down red at ocean gate
Descends to western caves.
Flash up from restless waves,
When sun-down red at ocean gate
Descends to western caves.
“O youth has no returning,
My heart is drear and cold,
My eyes are dim with yearning
For my lost one's locks of gold!”
My heart is drear and cold,
My eyes are dim with yearning
For my lost one's locks of gold!”
| The Collected Poems of Lord De Tabley | |