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I. GOOD-NIGHT! Good-night!—no long farewell, | |
| A brief adieu we wave to thee; | |
| Toll o’er thee no wild funeral knell, | |
| Wail out no threnody; | |
| Good-night! Good-night! | 5 |
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| Where evil none molests or harms, | |
| Nor racking cares disturb the breast, | |
| —Into the Everlasting Arms | |
| We give thee—take thy rest! | |
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| While we through lone night-watches toil, | 10 |
| ’Mid howling blast, and drenching spray, | |
| Attempting tasks our efforts foil, | |
| Waiting the lingering day, | |
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| —Thou, upon some empyrean height, | |
| Stand’st girt with spirits of the Blest, | 15 |
| To help us in the weary fight, | |
| Whisper of welcome rest; | |
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| And as fair morn uplifts the veil | |
| From off night’s sombre, stormy brow, | |
| Thine it may be the first to hail | 20 |
| Our homeward-veering prow; | |
| Good-night! Good-night! | |
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II. Good-night! Good-night!—this is but sleep | |
| That gently creepeth o’er thy brain,— | |
| Drink the bland potion, large and deep, | 25 |
| Cure for life’s long sore pain; | |
| Good-night! Good-night! | |
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| Sleep!—nay, but rather thou dost wake | |
| From life’s wild feverish fretful dream; | |
| From off thee the illusions shake | 30 |
| Wherewith the night-hours teem: | |
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| —’Tis we who sleep, we, we alone! | |
| Prey of vain visionary fears;— | |
| For thee the phantom mists are flown, | |
| The splendent dawn appears, | 35 |
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| —Driving to dark Oblivion’s caves | |
| The spectral forms wherewith we fight, | |
| The airy dreams fond hope still waves | |
| Before the baffled sight; | |
| Good-night! Good-night! | 40 |
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III. Good-night!—some blest celestial band | |
| Ev’n now may greet thee with good-morn. | |
| And welcome to the Heavenly strand | |
| A spirit newly born. | |
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| As insect waked from wintry trance | 45 |
| By the mild breath of quickening Spring, | |
| To join its fellows’ blithesome dance | |
| On light-plumed feathery wing: | |
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| So thou, thy proper peers among, | |
| A wingèd thing of light and fire, | 50 |
| Art one with the Throne-circling throng, | |
| The fair seraphic choir; | |
| Good-night! Good-night! | |
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