| |
| WHAT hid’st thou in thy treasure-caves and cells? | |
| Thou hollow-sounding and mysterious main!— | |
| Pale glistening pearls and rainbow-colored shells, | |
| Bright things which gleam unrecked of and in vain!— | |
| Keep, keep thy riches, melancholy sea! | 5 |
| We ask not such from thee. | |
| |
| Yet more, the depths have more!—what wealth untold, | |
| Far down, and shining through their stillness lies! | |
| Thou hast the starry gems, the burning gold, | |
| Won from ten thousand royal argosies!— | 10 |
| Sweep o’er thy spoils, thou wild and wrathful main! | |
| Earth claims not these again. | |
| |
| Yet more, the depths have more!—thy waves have rolled | |
| Above the cities of a world gone by! | |
| Sand hath filled up the palaces of old, | 15 |
| Sea-weed o’ergrown the halls of revelry. | |
| Dash o’er them, Ocean, in thy scornful play! | |
| Man yields them to decay. | |
| |
| Yet more, the billows and the depths have more! | |
| High hearts and brave are gathered to thy breast! | 20 |
| They hear not now the booming waters roar, | |
| The battle-thunders will not break their rest.— | |
| Keep thy red gold and gems, thou stormy grave! | |
| Give back the true and brave! | |
| |
| Give back the lost and lovely!—those for whom | 25 |
| The place was kept at board and hearth so long! | |
| The prayer went up through midnight’s breathless gloom, | |
| And the vain yearning woke midst festal song! | |
| Hold fast thy buried isles, thy towers o’erthrown,— | |
| But all is not thine own. | 30 |
| |
| To thee the love of woman hath gone down, | |
| Dark flow thy tides o’er manhood’s noble head, | |
| O’er youth’s bright locks, and beauty’s flowery crown; | |
| Yet must thou hear a voice,—Restore the dead! | |
| Earth shall reclaim her precious things from thee!— | 35 |
| Restore the dead, thou sea! | |
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