Poems (King)/From Bondage Free
From Bondage Free
FIRMLY around the mountain's lonely crest
The glittering glacier's icy arms were flung;
It drank the starbeams; o'er its frozen breast
A silver splendor hung,
The glittering glacier's icy arms were flung;
It drank the starbeams; o'er its frozen breast
A silver splendor hung,
And far above, the sky's deep bell of blue,—
Sprinkled with glistening pollen-dust of stars,—
Hung like a harebell graced with golden dew,
When morn her gate unbars.
Sprinkled with glistening pollen-dust of stars,—
Hung like a harebell graced with golden dew,
When morn her gate unbars.
Nor moon's soft argent flood, nor starry dart
The glacier pierced, until the wooing sun
Upon it smiled, when lo! its death-cold heart
By summer warmth was won,
The glacier pierced, until the wooing sun
Upon it smiled, when lo! its death-cold heart
By summer warmth was won,
Then down the mountain took their laughing way
A thousand streamlets from ice-bondage free,
Singing and leaping in their liquid play
Into the heaving sea.
A thousand streamlets from ice-bondage free,
Singing and leaping in their liquid play
Into the heaving sea.
As oft in anthem grand the singers hold
A momentary discord,—then along
The slope of silence run like molten gold,
Rare, rapturous rills of song.
A momentary discord,—then along
The slope of silence run like molten gold,
Rare, rapturous rills of song.