| |
| ‘COME, before the summer passes | |
| Let us seek the mountain land:’ | |
| So they called me, happy playmates, | |
| And we left the dawn-lit strand: | |
| Riding on till later sunbeams slanted | 5 |
| On dark hills and downward-plunging streams, | |
| And the solemn forest softly chanted | |
| Old, old dreams. | |
| |
| From the pass, we saw in glory | |
| Wave on purple wave unrolled | 10 |
| To the cloud-encircled summit | |
| Floating high, alone and cold: | |
| Like that altar-stone, by men of Athens | |
| Dedicated to the unknown God; | |
| Waiting for some fire to touch his holy | 15 |
| White abode. | |
| |
| Then the mellow sunset dying | |
| Passed in rosy fire away, | |
| And the stars and planets journeyed | |
| On their ancient unknown way. | 20 |
| Riders of the illimitable heaven! | |
| Moving on so far beyond our ken, | |
| Do ye scorn the toiling, heavy-hearted | |
| Sons of men? | |
| |
| Ere we slept we heard the torrents | 25 |
| Rushing from that mighty hill | |
| Join in deep melodious singing, | |
| While the forest-land was still. | |
| Music of forgotten wildernesses! | |
| Would that I could hear that song again! | 30 |
| Song of primal Earth’s enchanted sweetness, | |
| Joy and pain. |
