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WITH one bold spring, the little streamlet sinks | |
Prostrate below, and slumbers still and pure, | |
Holding its silver mirror to the sun | |
And open sky. It rushes from its height, | |
Like some bold warrior to the gladdening fray; | 5 |
Then rests like that same warrior in repose, | |
Smiling at victory won. When summer noon | |
Makes earth and air all drowsy with its heat, | |
Delicious is the rumble of the plunge | |
Sounding its grateful coolness to the ear, | 10 |
And blending sweetly with the sighing tones | |
Born where the pine uplifts its dark blue spire, | |
And with the humming, like a giant bee, | |
The tall slim mill yields ever through the day. | |
Noons columned beams bring likewise out the hues | 15 |
That shift and quiver upon the headlong sheet; | |
The emerald and the sapphire of its curve, | |
The diamond tremble of its glancing drops, | |
And all the tints that glitter in the threads | |
Divided sunshineof the opal bow | 20 |
Gleaming and dancing in the snowy foam | |
Born at its tumbling foot. The afternoon | |
Steeps it in pleasant shadow, with a ring | |
Of radiance on the cedars slender tip | |
And mills sharp roof, and moonlight makes the pitch | 25 |
One slope of silver. A delicious spot! | |
And lovers wander here in summer hours, | |
To gaze upon the scene, and, in the soft | |
And glowing day-dreams given by Hope and Love, | |
Muse on the things that meet their mingled sight. | 30 |
In the swift plunging stream the youth beholds | |
The course of man,his energy of will, | |
His rush of action, turbulence of soul; | |
While sees the maiden in the pool below | |
The life of woman,gentle, sweet, and bright, | 35 |
Receiving to her bosom reckless man, | |
Yet glassing in her crystal purity | |
The stars and sunshine of the heaven above her. | |
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