Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems By the Lady E. Stuart Wortley. In Three Vols |
 | I, II, III. |
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NIGHT'S SHADOWS. |
 | Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems |  |
202
NIGHT'S SHADOWS.
I heard the Winds, whose voices seemed
To chide and groan the while,
I saw the Shadows of the Night—
No star there lent its smile!
To chide and groan the while,
I saw the Shadows of the Night—
No star there lent its smile!
My heavy thoughts like mountains lay
Upon my soul that night,
For night-black frowned my Future then,
When Hope lent not her light!
Upon my soul that night,
For night-black frowned my Future then,
When Hope lent not her light!
The Future evermore must be
Darkness—to us, who know
But what now is,—and what hath been—
Not what shall be below.
Darkness—to us, who know
But what now is,—and what hath been—
Not what shall be below.
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Yet seldom, seldom seems it thus,
For Hope—that Night's sole star,
Illumines still its depths of gloom,
And tempts us from afar.
For Hope—that Night's sole star,
Illumines still its depths of gloom,
And tempts us from afar.
But if her gentle beam decline
We are indeed bereft;
Darkness and doom and coming death
Alone for us are left.
We are indeed bereft;
Darkness and doom and coming death
Alone for us are left.
The Winds like awful Prophets seemed,
On that dark clouded night,
To warn of coming woe the while,
I heard them in affright.
On that dark clouded night,
To warn of coming woe the while,
I heard them in affright.
Night's heavy shadows threateningly
Stretched far and wide around,
They seemed to deepen more in gloom—
I trembled as they frowned!
Stretched far and wide around,
They seemed to deepen more in gloom—
I trembled as they frowned!
204
Cheerless indeed the prospect was,
And gloomy was the hour,
But 'twas my cheerless, gloomy Soul
That lent them fearful power!
And gloomy was the hour,
But 'twas my cheerless, gloomy Soul
That lent them fearful power!
My thoughts like crushing mountains lay
Upon my Soul that night;
And, oh! they had as heavy been
In Midnoon's sunniest light!
Upon my Soul that night;
And, oh! they had as heavy been
In Midnoon's sunniest light!
| Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems | |