What misery most drowningly doth sing
In lone Endymion's ear, now he has caught The goal of consciousness? Ah, 't is the thought, The deadly feel of solitude: for lo!
He cannot see the heavens, nor the flow Of rivers, nor hill-flowers running wild In pink and purple chequer, nor, up-piled, The cloudy rack slow journeying in the west, Like herded elephants; nor felt, nor prest Cool grass, nor tasted the fresh slumberous air; But far from such companionship to wear An unknown time, surcharged with grief, away, Was now his lot. And must he patient stay, Tracing fantastic figures with his spear? "No!" exclaim'd he, "why should I tarry here?" No! loudly echoed times innumerable. At which he straightway started, and 'gan tell His paces back into the temple's chief; Warming and glowing strong in the belief Of help from Dian: so that when again
He caught her airy form, thus did he plain, Moving more near the while. "O Haunter chaste
Of river sides, and woods, and heathy waste,
Where with thy silver bow and arrows keen Art thou now forested? O woodland Queen, What smoothest air thy smoother forehead woos! Where dost thou listen to the wide halloos
Of thy disparted nymphs? Through what dark tree Glimmers thy crescent! Whereso'er it be, "Tis in the breath of heaven: thou dost taste Freedom as none can taste it, nor dost waste Thy loveliness in dismal elements;
But, finding in our green earth sweet contents,
There livest blissfully. Ah, if to thee
It feels Elysian, how rich to me,
An exiled mortal, sounds its pleasant name! Within my breast there lives a choking flame— O let me cool it among the zephyr-boughs! A homeward fever parches up my tongue— O let me slake it at the running springs! Upon my ear a noisy nothing rings-
O let me once more hear the linnet's note ! Before mine eyes thick films and shadows float- O let me 'noint them with the heaven's light! Dost thou now lave thy feet and ankles white? O think how sweet to me the freshening sluice! Dost thou now please thy thirst with berry-juice? O think how this dry palate would rejoice! If in soft slumber thou dost hear my voice,
O think how I should love a bed of flowers!- Young goddess! let me see my native bowers! Deliver me from this rapacious deep!"
Thus ending loudly, as he would o'erleap His destiny, alert he stood: but when Obstinate silence came heavily again, Feeling about for its old couch of space And airy cradle, lowly bow'd his face, Desponding, o'er the marble floor's cold thrill. But 't was not long; for, sweeter than the rill To its old channel, or a swollen tide
To margin sallows, where the leaves he spied, And flowers, and wreaths, and ready myrtle crowns Up heaping through the slab: refreshment drowns Itself, and strives its own delights to hide- Nor in one spot alone; the floral pride
What misery most drowningly doth sing
In lone Endymion's ear, now he has caught The goal of consciousness? Ah, 't is the thought, The deadly feel of solitude: for lo!
He cannot see the heavens, nor the flow Of rivers, nor hill-flowers running wild In pink and purple chequer, nor, up-piled, The cloudy rack slow journeying in the west, Like herded elephants; nor felt, nor prest Cool grass, nor tasted the fresh slumberous air; But far from such companionship to wear An unknown time, surcharged with grief, away, Was now his lot. And must he patient stay, Tracing fantastic figures with his spear? "No!" exclaim'd he, "why should I tarry here ?" No! loudly echoed times innumerable.
At which he straightway started, and 'gan tell His paces back into the temple's chief; Warming and glowing strong in the belief Of help from Dian: so that when again He caught her airy form, thus did he plain, Moving more near the while. "O Haunter chaste
Of river sides, and woods, and heathy waste, Where with thy silver bow and arrows keen Art thou now forested? O woodland Queen, What smoothest air thy smoother forehead woos! Where dost thou listen to the wide halloos
Of thy disparted nymphs? Through what dark tree Glimmers thy crescent! Whereso'er it be, "Tis in the breath of heaven: thou dost taste Freedom as none can taste it, nor dost waste Thy loveliness in dismal elements;
But, finding in our green earth sweet contents,
There livest blissfully. Ah, if to thee
It feels Elysian, how rich to me,
An exiled mortal, sounds its pleasant name! Within my breast there lives a choking flame- O let me cool it among the zephyr-boughs! A homeward fever parches up my tongue- O let me slake it at the running springs! Upon my ear a noisy nothing rings—
O let me once more hear the linnet's note ! Before mine eyes thick films and shadows float- O let me 'noint them with the heaven's light! Dost thou now lave thy feet and ankles white? O think how sweet to me the freshening sluice! Dost thou now please thy thirst with berry-juice? O think how this dry palate would rejoice! If in soft slumber thou dost hear my voice,
O think how I should love a bed of flowers!-- Young goddess! let me see my native bowers! Deliver me from this rapacious deep!"
Thus ending loudly, as he would o'erleap His destiny, alert he stood: but when Obstinate silence came heavily again, Feeling about for its old couch of space And airy cradle, lowly bow'd his face, Desponding, o'er the marble floor's cold thrill. But 't was not long; for, sweeter than the rill To its old channel, or a swollen tide
To margin sallows, where the leaves he spied, And flowers, and wreaths, and ready myrtle crowns Up heaping through the slab: refreshment drowns
Itself, and strives its own delights to hide
Nor in one spot alone; the floral pride
In a long whispering birth enchanted grew
Before his footsteps; as when heaved anew Old ocean rolls a lengthen'd wave to the shore, Down whose green back the short-lived foam, all hoar, Bursts gradual, with a wayward indolence.
Increasing still in heart, and pleasant sense, Upon his fairy journey on he hastes;
So anxious for the end, he scarcely wastes One moment with his hand among
Onward he goes-he stops-his bosom beats As plainly in his ear, as the faint charm
Of which the throbs were born. This still alarm, This sleepy music, forced him walk tiptoe: For it came more softly than the east could blow Arion's magic to the Atlantic isles;
Or than the west, made jealous by the smiles Of throned Apollo, could breathe back the lyre To seas Ionian and Tyrian.
O did he ever live, that lonely man,
Who loved-and music slew not? 'Tis the pest Of love, that fairest joys give most unrest; That things of delicate and tenderest worth Are swallow'd all, and made a seared dearth, By one consuming flame: it doth immerse And suffocate true blessings in a curse. Half-happy, by comparison of bliss,
Is miserable. 'Twas even so with this Dew-dropping melody, in the Carian's ear;
First heaven, then hell, and then forgotten clear, Vanish'd in elemental passion.
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