 | Lyrical Poems |  |
37
VAIN AMBITION
A thovsand
keen eyes peer
From out Earth's atmosphere,
Following the borrowed beam,
Which restlessly she flings
Midst the sun-circling rings,
The planetary scheme.
From out Earth's atmosphere,
Following the borrowed beam,
Which restlessly she flings
Midst the sun-circling rings,
The planetary scheme.
She wonders at the light
Cast through the depths of night,
Where Aldeboran burns:
Which travels myriad years,
Passing unnumbered spheres,
To reach her, where she turns.
Cast through the depths of night,
Where Aldeboran burns:
Which travels myriad years,
Passing unnumbered spheres,
To reach her, where she turns.
38
But what knows he of her,
He, of her sun the peer,
In his tremendous might:
Whether her rays may gain
The circuit of his reign,
Or midway cease in night?
He, of her sun the peer,
In his tremendous might:
Whether her rays may gain
The circuit of his reign,
Or midway cease in night?
She round about her sun
From space to space doth run:
He, as he was erewhile,
Sits on his fixed throne,
Shines where he ever shone,
As if she moved no mile.
From space to space doth run:
He, as he was erewhile,
Sits on his fixed throne,
Shines where he ever shone,
As if she moved no mile.
So far is he in space,
That her mile-million race
As emmet's inch is run:
Nor may that little range
Avail his place to change:
He looks upon the sun.
That her mile-million race
As emmet's inch is run:
Nor may that little range
Avail his place to change:
He looks upon the sun.
39
Moon, thou hast power to burn
Through mists, and clouds to turn
To silver-threaded haze:
The cedar holds thee now
In his cavernous bough,
Thee, and thy white-armed fays.
Through mists, and clouds to turn
To silver-threaded haze:
The cedar holds thee now
In his cavernous bough,
Thee, and thy white-armed fays.
Enough it is for thee
Earth's comforter to be,
To make a holy place,
Where naught is seen by day
But ravin and decay,
Men, and what men deface.
Earth's comforter to be,
To make a holy place,
Where naught is seen by day
But ravin and decay,
Men, and what men deface.
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