Lays Of Ancient Virginia, And Other Poems Part 5

Ten thousand birds are up in branch and air, To hail this coronation, every day Repeated from the first to last of time.

It is a glorious sight, and worthy all That has been said or sung of it in verse.

But yet 'tis dim to me, Odora's eyes Have cast that glory in a dull eclipse, Oh! sweet Odora! I am mad with love Of thy sweet eyes. Would they might rain their rays Upon me, as yon orb, rains rays on earth.

Oh, sweetest eyes of love! they set on fire My tinder heart. Odora! come to me!

Upon this mountain's green and glittering brow, Where now I stand and gaze down earth and main, O'er which that G.o.d's all gladdening glory soars.

Come, sweet Odora! thine eyes outs.h.i.+ne that G.o.d.

Thy speech's music so transcends these birds, They'll pine for grief and die. Oh sweet, come, come.

ENTER ODORA IN THE DRESS OF A WOODNYMPH.

Transcendant vision! Even now I thought of thee, My mind, o'erheated, called--and thou art here.

What blissful fate hath brought thee? Dost thou roam The scented hills at morn, to gather flowers; To gaze into the fountain's gla.s.sy mirror, Or list the sweet birds sigh on every bough, Thou art a woodnymph, speaks thy fair attire.

Sweet fancy of a sweeter maidenhood, That thou dost walk at dawn a woodnymph wild.

Here will I seal upon thy foam-white brow My flame again, which burns like yonder orb.

Odora! speak to me! thy voice is sweet, As sounds of rescue to a s.h.i.+p-wrecked soul.

SCENE II.--LOVER IN A GORGEOUS SALOON IN A GREAT CITY--EVENING--ENTER ODORA--LOVER SPEAKS.

Again I meet my love. 'Tis wondrous bliss, That such a Moon s.h.i.+nes on my spirit's night.

Like yonder moon, at times, she disappears;-- But still the virtue of her visit stays, Till she returns, with moon-like certainty.

Come, my Odora come! sing,

ODORA SINGS.

When winds are cold, and winter strips, The Oak and ghostly Pine; And fastens every streamlet's lips, And cold icicles s.h.i.+ne: Still fair amid the scene so bleak, The daisy flower is seen; So truest love will comfort speak, And make life's winter green.

That strain would charm an adder even to tears, So sweet a song, from mouth so full of grace.

Before I saw thee, my Odora! ne'er I thought this world could ever grow so fair To me. Love throws a rosy, sparkling tissue On mountain, hill, lake, tree, shrub, leaf and flower, Love sweetens every note of nature seven fold.

But sing again. Thy voice is like a harp.

ODORA SINGS.

When winds are bleak, and snows are deep, And waters frozen dumb; And voiceless insects snugly sleep, Where beam can never come: The daisy blooms beneath some tree, That screens her form from harm;-- So, love! I nestle near to thee, And live beneath thy arm.

Oh! angel! thou dost sing a meaning lay, And teachest wisdom, in sweet poetry.

But whence, my fair philosopher, thy lore, Hath G.o.d bestowed such deep laid knowledge on A light and playsome girl, whose pranks and wiles Have quite bewitched my would-be firmer soul.

Methinks thou singest well to-night; adieu, And may pure angels bring thee radiant dreams.

SCENE III. AN EVENING IN SUMMER. A GARDEN.--LOVER ALONE, AND READING A BOOK.

A tale of happy love! 'Tis like my fate.

Two youthful beings, yearning each for love, Met by a haunted stream, with ivied banks, Beneath the evening star--the star of love.

Their souls fled to each other suddenly: So that they felt they were ordained of old, To twain be one, one flesh, one bone, one soul.

They loved, and dwelt among the gra.s.sy hills, By lakes that mirrored all their trees and flowers.

A happy life, and curly-headed boys Were round their steps, their walks, their cottage door, Filling the air with laughter, silvery sweet.

Gay spring, bright summer, autumn, winter pa.s.sed, And found and left them happy, So time flew, Till both were old, their hearts yet light and gay.

Then, they slept sweetly, side by side, near by A favorite stream they oft had gazed upon, Meek christians said they hoped that love so rare Had full fruition found, in brighter worlds.

It is a happy story, and my eyes, Have poured their pearl upon these pages here, That tell so dear a tale. Oh! G.o.d be praised, If such a fate befall my love and me.

I will go seek Odora, and return To talk with her amid this fragrant bower, Of what a book has charmed my sighing soul.

I found it here. Perchance she read it first.

How that one thought which doth fill up the mind, Will color outward objects, circ.u.mstance, And accident, with tincture of itself.

_He goes--then Odora and he re-enter the garden._

LOVER SPEAKS.--I here have found, Odora, love, this book, Which tells a strange, sweet tale of happy love, How two young beings found a heaven on earth, Cans't tell me, whence it came, if fact or dream?

ODORA SPEAKS.--It is a happy story. In my father's room Of precious volumes late I fell on this; And read it in this garden; sweet romance, It brought the love-beats to my heart, drops to mine eyes.

SCENE IV.--ODORA AND LOVER IN A FIELD UNDER A PERFECT RAINBOW. (LOVER SPEAKS.)

Above this field that s.h.i.+nes an Eden, lo!

That wondrous arch of many married hues: A gorgeous belt, round Nature's lovely waist!

Sure, earth now seems no place of graves. A wide Gay, blooming Paradise! With moistened face, She smiles, like G.o.d, upon this joyous world.

A new, wild burst of various harmony, Salutes that Bow of charm--that orb of Glory.

Thou art the sun and rainbow to my heart, And, as they fade from sight--but do not die-- But come to-morrow with their wonted charms, Thou shalt not die--but gleam o'er me in heaven, With none of all thy beauty, lost or less.

Can'st thou not sing a song, love, ere it fades?

SHE SINGS.

The Sun gave birth to yonder bow That trembles in the sky That life-bestowing sun art thou-- That trembling bow am I.

When he withdraws his beaming face, The rainbow disappears; And, if those frown on me but once, I melt away in tears.

I thank thee for that song. Oh! thou art, sure, The wealthiest empire ruled by mortal man.

Thy thoughts fall down on me, like drops of gold.

SCENE V. THE BANKS OF A ROMANTIC RIVER, FLOWING AMONG MOUNTAINS, AND VIEWED BY MOONLIGHT.

How wild this scene, among the mountains lit By moonbeams. Ivied bluff and cedared bank, And river rippling o'er its gravelly floor.

The cool and silence, and the holy night, Remember me of fairies, those strange forms, That ever revelled underneath green trees, And danced upon the velvet, verdant sward.

Here will I sit upon this gra.s.sy knoll, And hear the song of this sweet water's flow, And gaze upon yon moon, who nears her noon.

How beautiful to me, are moonlight sh.o.r.es.

Here will I sing of loved Odora's charms, What time she lies locked in sleep's rosy arm.

No bird was ever fairer in its nest.

No bud e'er sweeter in its unoped cup; No jewel brighter in the chrystal sea; No diamond richer in the caves of earth.

LOVER SINGS.

The G.o.d of love, made beauteous things, To give His Man delight-- He made the sun--the bird's gay wings-- The constellated night.

He made the mountains of the earth, The ocean, beautiful; He gave all harmonies their birth, Man's troubled soul to lull.

The charm of charms--the Joy of Joys, That crowned the perfect whole; Was, Woman's form, and Woman's voice, And Woman's tender soul.

THE ANGELS OF EARTH.