Come To Me, Dreams Of Heaven!

Come to me, dreams of heaven! My fainting spirit bear On your bright wings, by morning given, Up to celestial air. Away--far, far away, From bowers by tempests riven, Fold me in blue, still, cloudless day, O blessed dreams of heaven!

Come but for one brief hour, Sweet dreams! and yet again O’er burning thought and memory shower Your soft effacing rain! Waft me where gales divine, With dark clouds ne’er have striven, Where living founts for ever shine-- O blessed dreams of heaven!

GOOD-NIGHT.

Day is past! Stars have set their watch at last; Founts that through the deep woods flow Make sweet sounds, unheard till now; Flowers have shut with fading light-- Good-night!

Go to rest! Sleep sit dove-like on thy breast! If within that secret cell One dark form of memory dwell, Be it mantled from thy sight-- Good-night!

Joy be thine! Kind looks o’er thy slumbers shine! Go, and in the spirit-land Meet thy home’s long-parted band; Be their eyes all love and light-- Good-night!

Peace to all! Dreams of heaven on mourners fall! Exile! o’er thy couch may gleams Pass from thine own mountain-streams; Bard! away to worlds more bright-- Good-night!

LET HER DEPART.

Her home is far, oh! far away! The clear light in her eyes Hath naught to do with earthly day-- ’Tis kindled from the skies. Let her depart!

She looks upon the things of earth, Even as some gentle star Seems gazing down on grief or mirth, How softly, yet how far! Let her depart!

Her spirit’s hope--her bosom’s love-- Oh! could they mount and fly! She never sees a wandering dove, But for its wings to sigh. Let her depart!

She never hears a soft wind bear Low music on its way, But deems it sent from heavenly air For her who cannot stay. Let her depart!

Wrapt in a cloud of glorious dreams, She breathes and moves alone, Pining for those bright bowers and streams Where her beloved is gone. Let her depart!

HOW CAN THAT LOVE SO DEEP, SO LONE.

How can that love so deep, so lone, So faithful unto death, Thus fitfully in laughing tone, In airy word, find breath?

Nay! ask how on the dark wave’s breast, The lily’s cup may gleam, Though many a mournful secret rest Low in the unfathom’d stream.

That stream is like my hidden love, In its deep current’s power; And like the play of words above, That lily’s trembling flower.

WATER-LILIES.

A FAIRY SONG.

Come away, elves!--while the dew is sweet, Come to the dingles where fairies meet! Know that the lilies have spread their bells O’er all the pools in our forest dells; Stilly and lightly their vases rest On the quivering sleep of the water’s breast, Catching the sunshine through leaves that throw To their scented bosoms an emerald glow; And a star from the depth of each pearly cup, A golden star unto heaven looks up, As if seeking its kindred where bright they lie, Set in the blue of the summer sky. Come away! Under arching boughs we’ll float, Making those urns each a fairy boat; We’ll row them with reeds o’er the fountains free, And a tall flag-leaf shall our streamer be; And we’ll send out wild music so sweet and low, It shall seem from the bright flower’s heart to flow, As if ’twere a breeze with a flute’s low sigh, Or water-drops train’d into melody. Come away! for the midsummer sun grows strong, And the life of the lily may not be long.

THE BROKEN FLOWER.

Oh! wear it on thy heart, my love! Still, still a little while! Sweetness is lingering in its leaves, Though faded be their smile. Yet, for the sake of what hath been, Oh, cast it not away! ’Twas born to grace a summer scene, A long, bright, golden day, My love! A long, bright, golden day!

A little while around thee, love! Its fragrance yet shall cling, Telling, that on thy heart hath lain A fair, though faded thing. But not even that warm heart hath power To win it back from fate,-- Oh! I am like thy broken flower, Cherish’d too late, too late, My love! Cherish’d alas! too late!

I WOULD WE HAD NOT MET AGAIN.

I would we had not met again! I had a dream of thee, Lovely, though sad, on desert-plain-- Mournful on midnight sea.

What though it haunted me by night, And troubled through the day? It touch’d all earth with spirit-light, It glorified my way!

Oh! what shall now my faith restore In holy things and fair? We met--I saw thy soul once more-- The world’s breath had been there!

Yes! it was sad on desert-plain, Mournful on midnight sea; Yet would I buy with life again That one deep dream of thee!

FAIRIES’ RECALL.

While the blue is richest In the starry sky, While the softest shadows On the greensward lie, While the moonlight slumbers In the lily’s urn, Bright elves of the wild-wood! Oh! return, return!

Round the forest-fountain, On the river-shore, Let your silvery laughter Echo yet once more; While the joyous bounding Of your dewy feet Rings to that old chorus-- “The daisy is so sweet!”

Oberon! Titania! Did your starlight mirth With the song of Avon Quit this work-day earth? Yet, while green leaves glisten, And while bright stars burn, By that magic memory, Oh! return, return!

See the fairies’ chorus in Chaucer’s “Flower and the Leaf.”

THE ROCK BESIDE THE SEA.

Oh! tell me not the woods are fair Now Spring is on her way! Well, well I know how brightly there In joy the young leaves play; How sweet on winds of morn or eve The violet’s breath may be;-- Yet ask me, woo me not to leave My lone rock by the sea.

The wild wave’s thunder on the shore, The curlew’s restless cries, Unto my watching heart are more Than all earth’s melodies. Come back, my ocean rover! come! There’s but one place for me, Till I can greet thy swift sail home-- My lone rock by the sea!