The Silken Tassel/The Song of Love
The Song of Love
Where the golden founts flow in ceaseless streams
And scatter their drops of stars;
Where the white dawn weaves her infinite dreams
And the silver gates unbars;
Where the vermeil tents drop slumbering shades
And the balmy breezes blow;
Where the blossoming light of the new moon fades
In the heart of eternal glow;
There I flutter about in the greenest glades
And sing to the world below.
And scatter their drops of stars;
Where the white dawn weaves her infinite dreams
And the silver gates unbars;
Where the vermeil tents drop slumbering shades
And the balmy breezes blow;
Where the blossoming light of the new moon fades
In the heart of eternal glow;
There I flutter about in the greenest glades
And sing to the world below.
When the halls of Space were hollow and dark,
And all was a soulless gloom;
When the cycles waited in awe for a spark
To raise the world from its doom;
When the wings of Time were folded over
Its eyes and ears long dead;
And the sleeping Truth there sigh’d to recover
Once more its long-slipp’d thread:
I piped my flute; and lo! they discover
A world wherever I tread!
And all was a soulless gloom;
When the cycles waited in awe for a spark
To raise the world from its doom;
When the wings of Time were folded over
Its eyes and ears long dead;
And the sleeping Truth there sigh’d to recover
Once more its long-slipp’d thread:
I piped my flute; and lo! they discover
A world wherever I tread!
I piped, and there all my sweetest words
Flew to shine the stars of Night,
And the Sun and the Moon, like the golden birds,
Pour’d over the earth my delight:
I piped, and Heaven there blossom’d in bliss
And flower’d in joys divine,
And Time rose out from its own abyss,
Like the Phoenix, to fly to my shrine;
I piped, and Truth came running to kiss
My feet and again be mine!
Flew to shine the stars of Night,
And the Sun and the Moon, like the golden birds,
Pour’d over the earth my delight:
I piped, and Heaven there blossom’d in bliss
And flower’d in joys divine,
And Time rose out from its own abyss,
Like the Phoenix, to fly to my shrine;
I piped, and Truth came running to kiss
My feet and again be mine!
I come to the earth with the youthful Spring
And charm her hopeful bower;
I wave with the clouds which play to my string
And I dance with the Summer shower:
I drop and whirl with the Autumn leaves
And blow with the west wind wild,
I slide with the Winter snow that cleaves
To the earth which has long beguiled:
I come with the day and the night that weaves
A thousand dreams like a child.
And charm her hopeful bower;
I wave with the clouds which play to my string
And I dance with the Summer shower:
I drop and whirl with the Autumn leaves
And blow with the west wind wild,
I slide with the Winter snow that cleaves
To the earth which has long beguiled:
I come with the day and the night that weaves
A thousand dreams like a child.
I fly over Fancy’s rich domain,
For ever so fresh and green;
I sing in the Kokil’s springful strain
From the leaf-young trees, unseen;
I laugh in the thunder’s rolling sound,
I glance in the lightning’s blaze,
I roll in the whirlwinds round and round,
I hide in the smoky haze;
Or I slip away for a while unfound,
And suddenly come and amaze!
For ever so fresh and green;
I sing in the Kokil’s springful strain
From the leaf-young trees, unseen;
I laugh in the thunder’s rolling sound,
I glance in the lightning’s blaze,
I roll in the whirlwinds round and round,
I hide in the smoky haze;
Or I slip away for a while unfound,
And suddenly come and amaze!
I smile in the rainbow’s rings of gems,
I peep from the pearly dew:
I shine in the stones and the diadems,
I gloom in the sullen yew;
I moan in the ever-crying cascade,
I hum with the murmuring bees,
I breathe through the songs of birds that braid
All the softest melodies;
Oh! I ring in the hearts of man and maid
And swell them like summer seas!
I peep from the pearly dew:
I shine in the stones and the diadems,
I gloom in the sullen yew;
I moan in the ever-crying cascade,
I hum with the murmuring bees,
I breathe through the songs of birds that braid
All the softest melodies;
Oh! I ring in the hearts of man and maid
And swell them like summer seas!
They say I am blind and I cannot see:
Fools!—I have a million eyes;
I find my way, through whatever may be,
I see through mountains and skies!
Wherever I go, I blow my spell,
And all is fair and bright;
They fall headlong in the fires of Hell
Who hate me in despite:
I lead to Heaven the souls that dwell
Within my God-fill’d light.
Fools!—I have a million eyes;
I find my way, through whatever may be,
I see through mountains and skies!
Wherever I go, I blow my spell,
And all is fair and bright;
They fall headlong in the fires of Hell
Who hate me in despite:
I lead to Heaven the souls that dwell
Within my God-fill’d light.
When this visible world will shake from its depth,
And the spheres will crumble and crash:
When the souls will breathe their last-left breath
And all will swoon in the clash:
Then all will come to my magical call
And lie in my boundless heart,
For mine are the worlds, all great and small,
And mine is the unscann’d art:
Oh! I am the root and the end of all,
And I am the whole and the part!
And the spheres will crumble and crash:
When the souls will breathe their last-left breath
And all will swoon in the clash:
Then all will come to my magical call
And lie in my boundless heart,
For mine are the worlds, all great and small,
And mine is the unscann’d art:
Oh! I am the root and the end of all,
And I am the whole and the part!