949. The Water-Lily by John Banister Tabb. Stedman, Edmund Clarence, ed. 1900. An American Anthology, 1787-1900

Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900.

949. The Water-Lily

By John Banister Tabb


WHENCE, O fragrant form of light,
Hast thou drifted through the night,
Swanlike, to a leafy nest,
On the restless waves, at rest?

Art thou from the snowy zone	5
Of a mountain-summit blown,
Or the blossom of a dream,
Fashioned in the foamy stream?

Nay,—methinks the maiden moon,
When the daylight came too soon,	10
Fleeting from her bath to hide,
Left her garment in the tide.