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(From The Voyage of Columbus)
LONG on the deep the mists of morning lay, | |
| Then rose, revealing, as they rolled away, | |
| Half-circling, hills, whose everlasting woods | |
| Sweep with their sable skirts the shadowy floods; | |
| And say, when all, to holy transport given, | 5 |
| Embraced and wept as at the gates of heaven, | |
| When one and all of us, repentant, ran, | |
| And, on our faces, blessed the wondrous Man,— | |
| Say, was I then deceived, or from the skies | |
| Burst on my ear seraphic harmonies? | 10 |
| “Glory to God!” unnumbered voices sung, | |
| “Glory to God!” the vales and mountains rung, | |
| Voices that hailed Creation’s primal morn, | |
| And to the shepherds sung a Saviour born. | |
| Slowly, bare-headed, through the surf we bore | 15 |
| The sacred cross, and, kneeling, kissed the shore. | |
| But what a scene was there? Nymphs of romance, | |
| Youths graceful as the Faun, with eager glance, | |
| Spring from the glades and down the alleys peep, | |
| Then headlong rush, bounding from steep to steep, | 20 |
| And clap their hands, exclaiming as they run, | |
| “Come and behold the Children of the Sun!” | |
| When, hark! a signal-shot! The voice, it came | |
| Over the sea in darkness and in flame! | |
| They saw, they heard; and up the highest hill, | 25 |
| As in a picture, all at once were still! | |
| Creatures so fair, in garments strangely wrought, | |
| From citadels, with Heaven’s own thunder fraught, | |
| Checked their light footsteps,—statue-like they stood, | |
| As worshipped forms, the Genii of the Wood! | 30 |
| At length the spell dissolves! The warrior’s lance | |
| Rings on the tortoise with wild dissonance! | |
| And see, the regal plumes, the couch of state! | |
| Still, where it moves, the wise in council wait! | |
| See now borne forth the monstrous mask of gold, | 35 |
| And ebon chair of many a serpent-fold; | |
| These now exchanged for gifts that thrice surpass | |
| The wondrous ring, and lamp, and horse of brass. | |
| What long-drawn tube transports the gazer home, | |
| Kindling with stars at noon the ethereal dome? | 40 |
| ’T is here: and here circles of solid light | |
| Charm with another self the cheated sight; | |
| As man to man, another self disclose, | |
| That now with terror starts, with triumph glows! * * * * * | |
| Soon from the bay the mingling crowd ascends, | 45 |
| Kindred first met! by sacred instinct friends! | |
| Through citron groves, and fields of yellow maize, | |
| Through plantain-walks where not a sunbeam plays. | |
| Here blue savannas fade into the sky, | |
| There forests frown in midnight majesty; | 50 |
| Ceiba, and Indian fig, and plane sublime, | |
| Nature’s first-born, and reverenced by Time! | |
| There sits the bird that speaks! there, quivering, rise, | |
| Wings that reflect the glow of evening skies! | |
| Half bird, half fly, the fairy king of flowers | 55 |
| Reigns there, and revels through the fragrant hours; | |
| Gem full of life, and joy, and song divine, | |
| Soon in the virgin’s graceful ear to shine. | |
| ’T was he that sung, if ancient fame speaks truth, | |
| “Come! follow, follow to the Fount of Youth! | 60 |
| I quaff the ambrosial mists that round it rise, | |
| Dissolved and lost in dreams of Paradise! | |
| For there called forth, to bless a happier hour, | |
| It met the sun in many a rainbow-shower! | |
| Murmuring delight, its living waters rolled | 65 |
| Mid branching palms and amaranths of gold!” | |
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