LITMIR.BIZ

      Many a morn the sunny darling

      Saw the rising chariot-rays,

      From the winding river-reaches,

      Mellowing in amber haze.

      Thro’ the flaming mountain gorges

      Lo, the River leaps the plain;

      Like a wild god-stridden courser,

      Tossing high its foamy mane.

      Then he swims thro’ laurelled sunlight,

      Full of all sensations sweet,

      Misty with his morning incense,

      To the mirrored maiden’s feet!

      Wet and bright the dinting pebbles

      Shine where oft she paused and stood;

      All her dreamy warmth revolving,

      While the chilly waters wooed.

      Like to rosy-born Aurora,

      Glowing freshly into view,

      When her doubtful foot she ventures

      On the first cold morning blue.

      White as that Thessalian lily,

      Fairest Tempe’s fairest flower,

      Lo, the tall Peneïan virgin

      Stands beneath her bathing bower.

      There the laurell’d wreaths o’erarching

      Crown’d the dainty shuddering maid;

      There the dark prophetic laurel

      Kiss’d her with its sister shade.

      There the young green glistening leaflets

      Hush’d with love their breezy peal;

      There the little opening flowerets

      Blush’d beneath her vermeil heel!

      There among the conscious arbours

      Sounds of soft tumultuous wail,

      Mysteries of love, melodious,

      Came upon the lyric gale!

      Breathings of a deep enchantment,

      Effluence of immortal grace,

      Flitted round her faltering footstep,

      Spread a balm about her face!

      Witless of the enamour’d presence,

      Like a dreamy lotus bud

      From its drowsy stem down-drooping,

      Gazed she in the glowing flood.

      Softly sweet with fluttering presage,

      Felt she that ethereal sense,

      Drinking charms of love delirious,

      Reaping bliss of love intense!

      All the air was thrill’d with sunrise,

      Birds made music of her name,

      And the god-impregnate water

      Claspt her image ere she came.

      Richer for that glance unconscious!

      Dearer for that soft dismay!

      And the sudden self-possession!

      And the smile as bright as day!

      Plunging ’mid her scattered tresses,

      With her blue invoking eyes;

      See her like a star descending!

      Like a rosebud see her rise!

      Like a rosebud in the morning

      Dashing off its jewell’d dews,

      Ere unfolding all its fragrance

      It is gathered by the muse!

      Beauteous in the foamy laughter

      Bubbling round her shrinking waist,

      Lo! from locks and lips and eyelids

      Rain the glittering pearl-drops chaste!

      And about the maiden rapture

      Still the ruddy ripples play’d,

      Ebbing round in startled circlets

      When her arms began to wade;

      Flowing in like tides attracted

      To the glowing crescent shine!

      Clasping her ambrosial whiteness

      Like an Autumn-tinted vine!

      Sinking low with love’s emotion!

      Levying with look and tone

      All love’s rosy arts to mimic

      Cytherea’s magic zone!

      Trembling up with adoration

      To the crimson daisy tip

      Budding from the snowy bosom—

      Fainter than the rose-red lip!

      Rising in a storm of wavelets,

      That for shelter, feigning fright,

      Prest to those twin-heaving havens,

      Harbour’d there beneath her light;

      Gleaming in a whirl of eddies

      Round her lucid throat and neck;

      Eddying in a gleam of dimples

      Up against her bloomy cheek;

      Bribing all the breezy water

      With rich warmth, the nymph to keep

      In a self-imprison’d plaisance,

      Tempting her from deep to deep.

      Till at last delirious passion

      Thrill’d the god to wild excess,

      And the fervour of a moment

      Made divinity confess;

      And he stood in all his glory!

      But so radiant, being near,

      That her eyes were frozen on him

      In a fascinated fear!

      All with orient splendour shining,

      All with roseate birth aglow,

      Gleam’d the golden god before her,

      With his golden crescent bow.

      Soon the dazzled light subsided,

      And he seem’d a beauteous youth,

      Form’d to gain the maiden’s murmurs,

      And to pledge the vows of truth.

      Ah! that thus he had continued!

      O, that such for her had been!

      Graceful with all godlike beauty,

      But so humanly serene!

      Cheeks, and mouth, and mellow ringlets,

      Bounteous as the mid-day beam;

      Pleading looks and wistful tremour,

      Tender as a maiden’s dream!

      Palms that like a bird’s throbb’d bosom

      Palpitate with eagerness,

      Lips,

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