Hither, come hither and frolic and play ; For here are the blissful downs and dales, And the rainbow lives in the curve of the sand; Hither, come hither and see ; And the rainbow hangs on the poising wave, And sweet shall your welcome be : O hither, come hither, and be our lords For merry brides are we: We will kiss sweet kisses, and speak sweet words: O listen, listen, your eyes shall glisten With pleasure and love and jubilee : O listen, listen, your eyes shall glisten When the sharp clear twang of the golden chords Runs up the ridged sea. Who can light on as happy a shore All the world o'er, all the world o'er? Whither away? listen and stay: mariner, mariner, fly no more. THE DESERTED HOUSE. 1. LIFE and Thought have gone away Side by side, Leaving door and windows wide: Careless tenants they! 2. All within is dark as night: 3. Close the door, the shutters close, Or thro' the windows we shall see The nakedness and vacancy Of the dark deserted house. 4. Come away: no more of mirth Is here or merry-making sound. The house was builded of the earth, And shall fall again to ground. 5. Come away for Life and Thought But in a city glorious— A great and distant city-have bought Would they could have stayed with us! THE DYING SWAN. 1. THE plain was grassy, wild and bare, An under-roof of doleful gray. And took the reed-tops as it went. 2. Some blue peaks in the distance rose, One willow over the river wept, And shook the wave as the wind did sigh; Above in the wind was the swallow, Chasing itself at its own wild will, Shot over with purple, and green, and yellow. 3. The wild swan's death-hymn took the soul Hidden in sorrow: at first to the ear The warble was low, and full and clear; With shawms, and with cymbals, and harps of gold, To the shepherd who watcheth the evening star. |