Tancred A Tale; And Other Poems. By the Author of Conrad, A Tragedy [i.e. Alfred Bunn] |
 |
 |
THE VOYAGE OF TIME. |
|
 | Tancred |  |
90
THE VOYAGE OF TIME.
Where life's sweet fount with magic birth
Springs from the cavern'd rocks to earth,
And rolls its billows to the sea,
Of fathomless eternity;
Springs from the cavern'd rocks to earth,
And rolls its billows to the sea,
Of fathomless eternity;
Love, Hope, and Mirth, a joyous crew!
Of ev'ry scent, and ev'ry hue,
Wove, by the infant streamlet, flow'rs
Fresh pluck'd from Pleasure's fairy bow'rs.
Of ev'ry scent, and ev'ry hue,
Wove, by the infant streamlet, flow'rs
Fresh pluck'd from Pleasure's fairy bow'rs.
Quoth Time, from life's untainted source,
I steer my bark with steady course:
What ventures will ye send afloat,
As freight and ballast for my boat?
I steer my bark with steady course:
What ventures will ye send afloat,
As freight and ballast for my boat?
By Sylphids hatch'd in myrtle groves,
Love brought a new-fledg'd brood of Doves
In basket of roses, and round the mast
He tied the sweet nets and the cages fast.
Love brought a new-fledg'd brood of Doves
In basket of roses, and round the mast
He tied the sweet nets and the cages fast.
91
Hope wove a web from silvery dews,
And spread the loom with such bright hues,
They glitter'd like gems, when wav'd by the gale,
And she set up the gossamer woof for a sail.
And spread the loom with such bright hues,
They glitter'd like gems, when wav'd by the gale,
And she set up the gossamer woof for a sail.
Mirth caught from stars their brightest beams,
And stole from Wit his lightning gleams,
And rang'd the darts in a diamond quiver,
To light up the boat, and illumine the river.
And stole from Wit his lightning gleams,
And rang'd the darts in a diamond quiver,
To light up the boat, and illumine the river.
Love, Hope, and Mirth, delighted gave
Their chaplets to the sparkling wave;
The lily and amaranth garlands glow,
Decking the bark, from the stern to the prow.
Their chaplets to the sparkling wave;
The lily and amaranth garlands glow,
Decking the bark, from the stern to the prow.
Quoth Time, my freight is rather light,
This rosy tackling wond'rous slight;
But my helm is firm, and my vessel tough,
And soon I ween I'll have ballast enough.
This rosy tackling wond'rous slight;
But my helm is firm, and my vessel tough,
And soon I ween I'll have ballast enough.
Hope's vivid glittering sail, spread wide,
Wafted the vessel o'er the tide;
Mirth's arrows flew round in the sunshine bright,
And the Doves plum'd their wings in the rosy light.
Wafted the vessel o'er the tide;
Mirth's arrows flew round in the sunshine bright,
And the Doves plum'd their wings in the rosy light.
92
Deeper and deeper grew the stream,
And dark clouds hid the sun's bright beam,
Care stepp'd in the boat, when the shallows were past,
And frighten'd the Doves, who were perch'd on the mast.
And dark clouds hid the sun's bright beam,
Care stepp'd in the boat, when the shallows were past,
And frighten'd the Doves, who were perch'd on the mast.
Two spread their wings and flew to land,
Lur'd by pearls on golden sand:
Advent'rous they enter'd a gilded dome,
But pining, flew back to their flow'ry home.
Lur'd by pearls on golden sand:
Advent'rous they enter'd a gilded dome,
But pining, flew back to their flow'ry home.
The wind blew high, each rosy wreath,
Blighted by disappointment's breath,
Faded away, and Hope's beautiful sail
Was soil'd by the spray, and rent by the gale.
Blighted by disappointment's breath,
Faded away, and Hope's beautiful sail
Was soil'd by the spray, and rent by the gale.
Misfortune's rocks in view appear'd,
And Fear the crazy vessel steer'd:
A Dove was drown'd in the Gulph of Despair,
And Mirth's brilliant arrows were quenched by Care.
And Fear the crazy vessel steer'd:
A Dove was drown'd in the Gulph of Despair,
And Mirth's brilliant arrows were quenched by Care.
And now by storms and tempests tost,
The freight and crew were nearly lost;
But Hope's shatter'd sail in gay streamers flew,
And the Doves' rosy cages budded anew.
The freight and crew were nearly lost;
But Hope's shatter'd sail in gay streamers flew,
And the Doves' rosy cages budded anew.
93
Quoth Time, my freight of Hope and Love,
Nor waves below, nor storms above,
Have pow'r to sink; and we well can cope
With storms, when our pilots are Love and Hope.
Nor waves below, nor storms above,
Have pow'r to sink; and we well can cope
With storms, when our pilots are Love and Hope.
| Tancred | |