The Coast of Bohemia Part 7

You are very fair, Felice, wondrous fair, And the light deep in your eyes Is more soft than summer skies, And rare roses in your cheek Play with lilies hide-and-seek,-- Play as Pleasure plays with Care.

And your throat is white, Felice, wondrous white, White as sifted snow, I wis, Ere the sun hath stol'n a kiss, High up starry mountain-heights, Or as in rich moonful nights Parian baths in Cynthia's light.

And, Felice, your rippling waves of soft hair, In their mystic depths aye hold Shade and s.h.i.+mmer of red gold, Like a halo round your face, Lending you another grace From the sunbeams s.h.i.+ning there.

And your voice is sweet, Felice, wondrous sweet, As the murmur of the sea, After long captivity, To a sailor far inland,-- Or as summer flowers fanned By soft zephyrs blown o'er wheat.

But so stony, fair Felice, is your heart, That I wonder oft, I own, If you 're not mere carven stone-- While my soul your charms enthrall-- Just some chiseled G.o.ddess tall: Merely Beauty, Stone, and Art.

LOVE SONG

Love 's, for Youth, and not for Age, E'en though Age should wear a crown; For the Poet, not the Sage; Not the Monarch, but the Clown.

Love 's for Peace, and not for War, E'en though War bring all renown; For the Violet, not the Star; For the Meadow, not the Town.

Love 's for lads and Love 's for maids, Courts a smile and flees a frown; Love 's for Love, and saucy jades Love Love most when Love has flown.

Love a cruel tyrant is: Slays his victims with a glance, Straight recovers with a kiss, But to slay again, perchance.

Wouldst thou know where Love doth bide?

Whence his sharpest arrows fly?

In a dimple Love may hide, Or the ambush of an eye.

Wert thou clad in triple mail, In some desert far apart, Not a whit would this avail: Love would find and pierce thy heart.

THE HARBOUR-LIGHT

Oh, the Harbour-light and the Harbour-light!

And how shall we come to the Harbour-light?

'Tis black to-night and the foam is white, And would we might win to the Harbour-light!

Oh, the Harbour-bar and the Harbour-bar!

And how shall we pa.s.s o'er the Harbour-bar?

The sea is tost and the s.h.i.+p is lost, And deep is the sleep 'neath the Harbour-bar.

FADED SPRAY OF MIGNONETTE

Faded spray of mignonette, Can you ever more forget How you lay that summer night, In the new moon's silvery light, Dreaming sweet in tranquil rest On my true-love's snowy breast?

Since her rosy finger-tips Bore you to her fragrant lips, Blessed you with a shadowy kiss, Nestled you again in bliss, (Envied of the G.o.ds above) All is faded save my love.

LOST ROSES

I stood beside the laughing, s.h.i.+ning river, And shook the roses down upon its breast,-- I watched them whirl away with gleam and quiver, As 't were a merry jest.

I stood beside the silent, sombre river, As creepingly the tide came from the sea, I watched for my fair roses, but ah! never Did they come back to me.

DE NAME OF OLE VIRGINIA

SONG

De old place on de Ches'peake Bay Is in my heart to-night-- I hopes to git back d'yar some day, An' hongers for de sight.

Dee come an' tole me I was free, An' all my work was done; I left dem whar was good to me, An' now I 'se all alone.

De name of ole Virginia Is sweet as rain in drouf-- Oh! Master, say, has you been dy'ar?

Hit 's way down in de Souf.

De gra.s.s dat grows 'pon top de hill De ones I love does hide, I pray de Lord to spyah me still To sleep dyar by dee side.

De ole plantation 's sole an' all, But sometime dee will come, An' I will hear Brer Gabrull call, To fetch de ole man home.

De name ob ole Virginia Is sweet as rain in drouf-- Oh! Master, say, has you been dy'ar?

Hit 's way down in de Souf.

THE DANCER

FROM ONE WHO KNOWS ONE OF THE MUSES

You say the G.o.ds and muses all From earth now banished be?

Will you believe that yester-eve I saw Terpsich.o.r.e?

Her robe of snow and gossamer Enclad a form most neat; Such sandals green were never seen As shod her twinkling feet.

Her every step was melody, Her every motion grace, That one might prize a thousand eyes To note both form and face.

The motes that dance in sunny beams Tripped never in such wise; This lovely sprite danced in the light That beamed from her own eyes.

A man's head once was danced away-- You know how it befell?

My dainty fay danced yesterday Men's hearts away as well.