194

Dirge at Sea.

If thou hast bruised a vine,

The summer's breath is healing,
And its clusters yet may glow,

Through the leaves their bloom revealing:
But if thou hast a cup o'erthrown

With a bright draught filled-oh! never Shall earth give back that lavished wealth To cool thy parched lip's fever!

The heart is like that cup,

If thou waste the love it bore thee;
And like that jewel gone,

Which the deep will not restore thee;
And like that string of harp or lute

Whence the sweet sound is scattered,-
Gently, oh! gently touch the chords,
So soon for ever shattered!

DIRGE AT SEA.

LEEP!—we give thee to the wave,

SLEE

Red with life-blood from the brave.

Thou shalt find a noble grave.

Fare thee well!

Sleep! thy billowy field is won:
Proudly may the funeral-gun,

Midst the hush at set of sun,
Boom thy knell !

Oye Voices gone!

Lonely, lonely is thy bed,

Never there may flower be shed,
Marble reared, or brother's head
Bowed to weep.

Yet thy record on the sea,

Borne through battle high and free,
Long the red-cross flag shall be.
Sleep! oh, sleep!

195

196

The Meeting of the Ships.

THE MEETING OF THE SHIPS.

"We take each other by the hand, and we exchange a few words and looks of kindness, and we rejoice together for a few short moments: and then days, months, years intervene, and we see and know nothing of each other."-WASHINGTON IRVING.

WO barks met on the deep mid-sea,

TWO

When calms had stilled the tide ;
A few bright days of summer glee
There found them side by side.

And voices of the fair and brave
Rose mingling thence in mirth;
And sweetly floated o'er the wave
The melodies of earth.

Moonlight on that lone Indian main
Cloudless and lovely slept;
While dancing step and festive strain

Each deck in triumph swept.

And hands were linked, and answering eyes

With kindly meaning shone;

Oh! brief and passing sympathies,

Like leaves together blown!

A little while such joy was cast
Over the deep's repose,

Till the loud singing winds at last
Like trumpet-music rose.

Despondency and Aspiration.

And proudly, freely on their way
The parting vessels bore;
In calm or storm, by rock or bay
To meet-oh, never more!

Never to blend in victory's cheer,
To aid in hours of woe:

And thus bright spirits mingle here,
Such ties are formed below!

197

DESPONDENCY AND ASPIRATION.

"Par correr miglior acqua alza le vele,

Omai la navicella del mio Intelletto."-DANTE.

Y soul was mantled with dark shadows, born

MY of lonely Fear, disquieted in vain ;

Its phantoms hung around the star of morn,
A cloud-like, weeping train:

Through the long day they dimmed the autumn gold
On all the glistening leaves, and wildly rolled,
When the last farewell flush of light was glowing

Across the sunset sky,

O'er its rich isles of vaporous glory throwing
One melancholy dye.

And when the solemn night
Came rushing with her might

Of stormy oracles from caves unknown,

198

Despondency and Aspiration.

Then with each fitful blast

Prophetic murmurs passed,

Wakening or answering some deep Sybil-tone
Far buried in my breast, yet prompt to rise
With every gusty wail that o'er the wind-harp flies.

“Fold, fold thy wings," they cried, “and strive no more— Faint spirit! strive no more: for thee too strong

Are outward ill and wrong,

And inward wasting fires! Thou canst not soar
Free on a starry way,

Beyond their blighting sway,

At heaven's high gate serenely to adore!

How shouldst thou hope earth's fetters to unbind?
O passionate, yet weak! O trembler to the wind!

"Never shall aught but broken music flow
From joy of thine, deep love, or tearful woe—
Such homeless notes as through the forest sigh,
From the reeds' hollow shaken,

When sudden breezes waken

Their vague, wild symphony.

No power is theirs, and no abiding-place

In human hearts; their sweetness leaves no trace-
Born only so to die!

"Never shall aught but perfume, faint and vain, On the fleet pinion of the changeful hour, From thy bruised life again

A moment's essence breathe;

Thy life, whose trampled flower

Into the blessed wreath

Of household-charities no longer bound,

Lies pale and withering on the barren ground.