Poems (Waldenburg)/Undine
For works with similar titles, see Undine.
UNDINE.
Far down in the purple depths of the sea,
In its grottoes where sweet minstrelsy
Hovers the path of our ocean queen,
As she sports with her nymphs in their robes of green
With sea weed twining her limbs so fair,
And the coral wreathing her golden hair—
'Twas there I dwelt, oh the joy I've felt—
When gazing upward through lucent waves,
I thought, my Ocean, woe comes not here—
For I caught the shadow of human graves
That made your earth seem cold and drear!
In its grottoes where sweet minstrelsy
Hovers the path of our ocean queen,
As she sports with her nymphs in their robes of green
With sea weed twining her limbs so fair,
And the coral wreathing her golden hair—
'Twas there I dwelt, oh the joy I've felt—
When gazing upward through lucent waves,
I thought, my Ocean, woe comes not here—
For I caught the shadow of human graves
That made your earth seem cold and drear!
O could you but peer at our sea queen's throne,
And bow with the mermen, as one by one
They kneel at her feet, ah then I know
You would back to earth and say—"below
Is Beauty and there the chalice
Of joy is filled in the sea queen's palace,
There the rose hued shells with their murmur tell
This is the home where the beautiful dwell;
And its halls are lighted, when comes the night,
With diamonds and glistening stalactite."
And bow with the mermen, as one by one
They kneel at her feet, ah then I know
You would back to earth and say—"below
Is Beauty and there the chalice
Of joy is filled in the sea queen's palace,
There the rose hued shells with their murmur tell
This is the home where the beautiful dwell;
And its halls are lighted, when comes the night,
With diamonds and glistening stalactite."
When Orion's belt is the brightest seen,
When Diane moves her stateliest mien,
Though bending lowly as once before,
Endymion kissing, then every star
Bestuds the wave and our queen they lave,
Bathing her bosom and veil of green
With jewels far brighter than earth has seen,
And gleam mid her hair till the trembling pearl
Grows pale and dies in a golden curl!
When Diane moves her stateliest mien,
Though bending lowly as once before,
Endymion kissing, then every star
Bestuds the wave and our queen they lave,
Bathing her bosom and veil of green
With jewels far brighter than earth has seen,
And gleam mid her hair till the trembling pearl
Grows pale and dies in a golden curl!
So free in those ocean halls I dwelt,
My bosom light and I never felt
The passion love, for our Triton's daughters
Inhale but the cool essence of the waters.
Alas that I should have cause for sigh,
That I left those halls and that pearly portal,
For this sadness a heart, and the love of mortal,
For the love of one whose heart, I ween,
Never loved truly discrowned Undine!
My bosom light and I never felt
The passion love, for our Triton's daughters
Inhale but the cool essence of the waters.
Alas that I should have cause for sigh,
That I left those halls and that pearly portal,
For this sadness a heart, and the love of mortal,
For the love of one whose heart, I ween,
Never loved truly discrowned Undine!
My sea blown blossoms black, and trailing
Woe like my arms, my fate bewailing.
Lost the pure, cool nature the ocean gave,
The passionless life beneath the wave;
And I with my moan sit here alone,
Alone by the shore of my beautiful sea
Where all my loved innocent sisters be,
Pleading and praying, implore a fate
To open once more the beautiful gate!
Woe like my arms, my fate bewailing.
Lost the pure, cool nature the ocean gave,
The passionless life beneath the wave;
And I with my moan sit here alone,
Alone by the shore of my beautiful sea
Where all my loved innocent sisters be,
Pleading and praying, implore a fate
To open once more the beautiful gate!
I am sad, Father Triton, my poor feet they burn
With the dust of this earth, and so bitterly yearn,
But to die in some coral cave under thy wave
With the cool waving sea-moss bent over my grave.
And this heart of a woman, that renders me human,
I hurl from my bosom far back to the earth!
It brought tears to my life and made it a dearth,
What need of a heart, it brings sorrow and pain,
And I plead for my passionless nature again!
With the dust of this earth, and so bitterly yearn,
But to die in some coral cave under thy wave
With the cool waving sea-moss bent over my grave.
And this heart of a woman, that renders me human,
I hurl from my bosom far back to the earth!
It brought tears to my life and made it a dearth,
What need of a heart, it brings sorrow and pain,
And I plead for my passionless nature again!
How long must I wait? I'm in sight of my home,
Am I doomed forever this hot earth to roam?
Watching the ripples that break with each eddy,
Peering the waves to find some hand ready,
Like a pleiad lost, or a soul sin-tossed!
Ah come to me, come, let me leap from the shore,
Give me but a sea grave, I'll not ask any more!
Oh joy! There, the chariots, I see through the foam,
I hear the sweet voices, I go to my home!
Am I doomed forever this hot earth to roam?
Watching the ripples that break with each eddy,
Peering the waves to find some hand ready,
Like a pleiad lost, or a soul sin-tossed!
Ah come to me, come, let me leap from the shore,
Give me but a sea grave, I'll not ask any more!
Oh joy! There, the chariots, I see through the foam,
I hear the sweet voices, I go to my home!