Hither, come hither and frolic and play; For here are the blissful downs and dales, And the rainbow lives in the curve of the sand; And the rainbow hangs on the poising wave, And sweet is the colour of cove and cave, And sweet shall your welcome be: O hither, come hither, and be our lords, For merry brides are we: We will kiss sweet kisses, and speak sweet words : O listen, listen, your eyes shall glisten With pleasure and love and jubilee : O listen, listen, your eyes shall glisten When the sharp clear twang of the golden chords Runs up the ridged sea. Who can light on as happy a shore All the world o'er, all the world o'er ? Whither away listen and stay: mariner, mariner, fly no more. THE DESERTED HOUSE. 1. LIFE and Thought have gone away Side by side, Leaving door and windows wide: Careless tenants they! 2. All within is dark as night : 3. Close the door, the shutters close, Or thro' the windows we shall see The nakedness and vacancy Of the dark deserted house. 4. Come away: no more of mirth Is here or merry-making sound. The house was builded of the earth, And shall fall again to ground. 5. Come away for Life and Thought Here no longer dwell; But in a city glorious A great and distant city-have bought A mansion incorruptible. Would they could have stayed with us! THE DYING SWAN. 1. THE plain was grassy, wild and bare, And loudly did lament. And took the reed-tops as it went. 2. Some blue peaks in the distance rose, One willow over the river wept, And shook the wave as the wind did sigh; Above in the wind was the swallow, Chasing itself at its own wild will, And far thro' the marish green and still Shot over with purple, and green, and yellow. 3. The wild swan's death-hymn took the soul Hidden in sorrow: at first to the ear The warble was low, and full and clear; Flow'd forth on a carol free and bold; With shawms, and with cymbals, and harps of gold, Thro' the open gates of the city afar, To the shepherd who watcheth the evening star. And the wavy swell of the soughing reeds, Were flooded over with eddying song. |