 | Poems by a Painter |  |
39
FAIRY MADRIGAL.
I.
Featly, fairies, foot the dance,O'er moss and flower!
Through the gloom the fire-flies glance,
Like a golden shower;
And in their starry light,
While the moon yet sleeps behind the hill,
Weave we our reel to-night
To the chiming of the rill;
Or the song the skylark weaves
'Mongst the leaves,
As he hymns the dawning gleams
In his dreams.
40
II.
What, ho! The wisp-fire! Through the darkFollow him fleet,
Over the marsh that takes no mark
Of our elfin feet.
Yo-ho! now hang him out
On the foxglove spire for a lamp to be!
While round and round about
We quaff so merrily,
From buttercup and harebell blue,
Our nectar-dew,
Nor lack from lips divine
Sweeter wine!
III.
Twist we, twist we, twirl and twineAlong the green!
But see! those rosy streaks that shine
The boles between!
Mount we the westering wind!
41
We shall leave the morning far behind—
To Avalun away!
There may our charmèd sleep
Be as deep
As thine, blue waning moon,
In the noon!
| Poems by a Painter | |