| |
| O FRIEND, amid the stately pines | |
| That murmurous music yield to thee, | |
| Recall’st thou the enchanted climes, | |
| St. Lawrence, broad and clear and free? | |
| What time we sailed in summer calm, | 5 |
| With moonlight glinting wave and beach, | |
| To meet the south-wind’s kiss of balm, | |
| Surpassing melody of speech? | |
| |
| At night when the Nevada gleams, | |
| Like castle turrets, white and cold, | 10 |
| And all the azure archway streams | |
| With oriflamme of gems and gold; | |
| Upon thy lovely snow-crowned beat, | |
| Where foams and falls the mountain rill, | |
| Come visions of our voyage sweet, | 15 |
| By sheltered bay and wooded hill? | |
| |
| And fairy isles that slept serene | |
| Upon the river’s peaceful breast, | |
| While cloth of gold some naiad queen | |
| Trailed regally along the west! | 20 |
| With furrows left by gliding keel, | |
| And lilies clasping to their hearts, | |
| The golden secrets stars reveal | |
| When rosy day at length departs? | |
| |
| Still on and on, as spirits float, | 25 |
| Through waves of ether opal-rifted, | |
| Too blest, enrapt, to even note | |
| If down to death we slowly drifted; | |
| Now sighing faint, with clover gales, | |
| The distant bells rang out delight, | 30 |
| Anon the dusky grotto vales,— | |
| A fitting scene for such a night. | |
| |
| Ah! from thy lips that keep for me | |
| Poems no bard hath ever sung, | |
| Still falls the entrancing melody | 35 |
| Of Grecian isle, when Time was young! | |
| Fair River, clasp unto thy breast | |
| Our love,—nay, tell it to the main! | |
| Old Ocean, bear it to the West! | |
| And wake his smile for me again. | 40 |
| |
