| |
| I WOULD I had been island-born. | |
| I dearly love things insular: | |
| The coral bed, the quaint bazaar, | |
| The palm and breadfruit never shorn, | |
| The smoking cone that cannot char | 5 |
| The azure of a tropic morn, | |
| The dancing girl in soft cymar,— | |
| All these such lures, such wonders are— | |
| Oh, why was I not island-born? | |
| |
| In island crossed of Capricorn— | 10 |
| In Otaheite, wild Happar— | |
| Lurk all the powers that make or mar. | |
| The ogress, wrinkled like a Norn, | |
| The parrot-fish, the nenuphar, | |
| The tides that leave in quiet scorn | 15 |
| The moon out of their calendar, | |
| Miranda’s cave, Nausicaa’s car,— | |
| All these are for the island-born. | |
| |
| ’T was on a far-off isle forlorn | |
| That Haidee wore her golden bar, | 20 |
| Virginia seemed a drifted spar, | |
| Rarahu’s loving heart was torn, | |
| Sweet Allan Bane, in peace and war, | |
| Awoke St. Modan’s harp outworn, | |
| And Graziella her guitar; | 25 |
| She bore the brimming water-jar | |
| Not grieving to be island-born. | |
| |
ENVOY
Prince, on three islands, sundered far, | |
| Thine were life’s flower, its husk, its thorn. | |
| Ripe grew thy wrath on Elba’s scar, | 30 |
| In St. Helena sank thy star. | |
| Napoleon, thou wast island-born! | |
| |
