Prelude

Blue storm-clouds in hot heavens of mid-JulyHung heavy, brooding over land and sea:Our hearts, a-tremble, throbbed in harmonyWith the wild, restless tone of air and sky.Shall we not call him Prospero who heldIn his enchanted hands the fateful keyOf that tempestuous hour's mystery,And with him to wander by a sun-bright shore,To hear fine, fairy voices, and to flyWith disembodied Ariel once moreAbove earth's wrack and ruin? Far and nighThe laughter of the thunder echoed loud,And harmless lightnings leapt from cloud to cloud.

Floating upon a swelling wave of sound,We seemed to overlook an endless sea:Poised 'twixt clear heavens and glittering surf were we.We drank the air in flight: we knew no boundTo the audacious ventures of desire.Nigh us the sun was dropping, drowned in gold;Deep, deep below the burning billows rolled;And all the sea sang like a smitten lyre.Oh, the wild voices of those chanting waves!The human faces glimpsed beneath the tide!Familiar eyes gazed from profound sea-caves,And we, exalted, were as we had died.We knew the sea was Life, the harmonious cryThe blended discords of humanity.

Look deeper yet: mark 'midst the wave-blurred mass,In lines distinct, in colors clear defined,The typic groups and figures of mankind.Behold within the cool and liquid glassBright child-folk sporting with smooth yellow shells,Astride of dolphins, leaping up to kissFair mother-faces. From the vast abyssHow joyously their thought-free laughter wells!Lulled by the overwhelming water's sound,And some make mouths at dragons, undismayed.Oh dauntless innocence! The gulfs profoundReecho strangely with their ringing glee,And with wise mermaids' plaintive melody.

What do the sea-nymphs in that coral cave?With wondering eyes their supple forms they bendO'er something rarely beautiful. They lendTheir lithe white arms, and through the golden waveThey lift it tenderly. Oh blinding sight!A naked, radiant goddess tranced in sleep,Full-limbed, voluptuous, 'neath the mantling sweepOf auburn locks that kiss her ankles white!Upward they bear her, chanting low and sweet:The clinging waters part before their way,Jewels of flame are dancing 'neath their feet.Up in the sunshine, in soft foam, they layTheir precious burden, and return forlorn.Oh, bliss! oh, anguish! Mortals, LOVE is born!

Hark! from unfathomable deeps a dirgeSwells sobbing through the melancholy air:Where Love has entered, Death is also there.The wail outrings the chafed, tumultuous surge;Ocean and earth, the illimitable skies,Prolong one note, a mourning for the dead,The cry of souls not to be comforted.What piercing music! Funeral visions rise,And send the hot tears raining down our cheek.We see the silent grave upon the hillWith its lone lilac-bush. O heart, be still!She will not rise, she will not stir nor speak.Surely, the unreturning dead are blest.Ring on, sweet dirge, and knell us to our rest!

Upon the silver beach the undines danceWith interlinking arms and flying hair;Like polished marble gleam their limbs left bare;Upon their virgin rites pale moonbeams glance.Softer the music! for their foam-bright feetPrint not the moist floor where they trip their round:Affrighted they will scatter at a sound,Leap in their cool sea-chambers, nimbly fleet,And we shall doubt that we have ever seen,While our sane eyes behold stray wreaths of mist,Shot with faint colors by the moon-rays kissed,Floating snow-soft, snow-white, where these had been.Already, look! the wave-washed sands are bare,And mocking laughter ripples through the air.