Ye Clouds! that far above me float and pause, Whose pathless march no mortal may control! Ye Ocean-Waves! that, wheresoe'er ye roll, Yield homage only to eternal laws! 5 Ye Woods! that listen to the night-birds singing, Midway the smooth and perilous slope reclined, Save when your own imperious branches swinging, Have made a solemn music of the wind! Where, like a man beloved of God, 10 Through glooms, which never woodman trod, How oft, pursuing fancies holy, My moonlight way o'er flowering weeds I wound, Inspired, beyond the guess of folly, By each rude shape and wild unconquer able sound! 15 O ye loud Waves! and O ye Forests high! And O ye Clouds that far above me soared! 20 Though many friendships, many youthful loves Had swoln the patriot emotion 35 And flung a magic light o'er all her hills Yet still my voice, unaltered, sang defeat lance, Thou rising Sun! thou blue rejoicing 50 The dissonance ceased, and all seemed Sky! Yea, everything that is and will be free! Bear witness for me, wheresoe'er ye be, With what deep worship I have still adored The spirit of divinest Liberty. When France in wrath her giant-limbs 55 upreared, And with that oath, which smote air, Stamped her strong foot and said she 25 Bear witness for me, how I hoped and feared! With what a joy my lofty gratulation Unawed I sang, amid a slavish band: And when to whelm the disenchanted nation, calm and bright; When France her front deep-scarr'd and gory Concealed with clustering wreaths of glory; When, insupportably advancing,. Her arm made mockery of the warrior's ramp ;* While timid looks of fury glancing, Domestic treason, crushed beneath her fatal stamp, Writhed like a wounded dragon in his gore; Then I reproached my fears that would not flee; But thou nor swell'st the victor's strain, nor ever Didst breathe thy soul in forms of human power. Alike from all, howe'er they praise thee, (Nor prayer, nor boastful name delays thee) Alike from Priestcraft's harpy minions, And factious Blasphemy's obscener slaves, Thou speedest on thy subtle pinions, The guide of homeless winds, and playmate of the waves! And there I felt thee!-on that seacliff's verge, Whose pines, scarce travelled by the breeze above, Had made one murmur with the distant 5 The moon was high, the moonlight gleam And the shadow of a star Heaved upon Tamaha's stream; But the rock shone brighter far, The rock half sheltered from my view 10 By pendent boughs of tressy yew.So shines my Lewti's forehead fair, Gleaming through her sable hair, Image of Lewti! from my mind Depart; for Lewti is not kind. 15 I saw a cloud of palest hue, Onward to the moon it passed; Till it reach'd the moon at last: 20 Then the cloud was wholly bright, With a rich and amber light! 25 And so with many a hope I seek And even so my pale wan cheek Drinks in as deep a flush of beauty! Nay, treacherous image! leave my mind, If Lewti never will be kind. The little cloud-it floats away, And now 'tis whiter than before! When, Lewti! on my couch I lie, 40 Nay, treacherous image! leave my mindAnd yet, thou didst not look unkind. Hush! my heedless feet from under Slip the crumbling banks forever: 55 Like echoes to a distant thunder, 60 They plunge into the gentle river. O beauteous birds! methinks ye measure 65 I know the place where Lewti lies, Voice of the Night! had I the power 70 That leafy labyrinth to thread, And creep, like thee, with soundless tread, As these two swans together heave 75 On the gently-swelling wave. Oh! that she saw me in a dream, And dreamt that I had died for care; All pale and wasted I would seem, Yet fair withal, as spirits are! His soul in calmness, yet perforce must feel For all his human brethren-O my God! It weighs upon the heart, that he must think What uproar and what strife may now be stirring 35 This way or that way o'er these silent hills Invasion, and the thunder and the shout, 40 Carnage and groans beneath this blessed sun! We have offended, Oh! my countrymen! west A groan of accusation pierces Heaven! 45. The wretched plead against us; multitudes Countless and vehement, the sons of God, Our brethren! Like a cloud that travels on, Steamed up from Cairo's swamps of pestilence, Even so, my countrymen! have we gone forth 50 And borne to distant tribes slavery and pangs, And, deadlier far, our vices, whose deep taint With slow perdition murders the whole man, His body and his soul! Meanwhile, at home, All individual dignity and power 55 Engulfed in Courts, Committees, Institutions, Associations and Societies, A vain, speech-mouthing, speech-reporting One Benefit-Club for mutual flattery, We have drunk up, demure as at a grace, 60 Pollutions from the brimming cup of wealth; Contemptuous of all honorable rule, For gold, as at a market! The sweet words Of Christian promise, words that even yet 65 Might stem destruction, were they wisely preached, Are muttered o'er by men, whose tones proclaim How flat and wearisome they feel their trade: Rank scoffers some, but most too indolent To deem them falsehoods or to know their truth. 70 Oh! blasphemous! the Book of Life is made A superstitious instrument, on which For all must swear-all and in every place, 75 All, all must swear, the briber and the bribed, 80 Merchant and lawyer, senator and priest, All, all make up one scheme of perjury, Forth from his dark and lonely hiding- (Portentous sight!) the owlet Atheism, Sailing on obscene wings athwart the noon, Drops his blue-fringéd lids, and holds them close, 85 And hooting at the glorious sun in Heaven, Cries out, "Where is it?" |