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| A THOUSAND miles from land are we, | |
| Tossing about on the roaring sea; | |
| From billow to bounding billow cast, | |
| Like fleecy snow on the stormy blast: | |
| The sails are scattered abroad, like weeds, | 5 |
| The strong masts shake, like quivering reeds, | |
| The mighty cables, and iron chains, | |
| The hull, which all earthly strength disdains, | |
| They strain and they crack, and hearts like stone | |
| Their natural hard, proud strength disown. | 10 |
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| Up and down! Up and down! | |
| From the base of the wave to the billow’s crown, | |
| And amidst the flashing and feathery foam | |
| The stormy petrel finds a home,— | |
| A home, if such a place may be, | 15 |
| For her who lives on the wide, wide sea, | |
| On the craggy ice, in the frozen air, | |
| And only seeketh her rocky lair | |
| To warm her young, and to teach them to spring | |
| At once o’er the waves on their stormy wing! | 20 |
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| O’er the deep! O’er the deep! | |
| Where the whale and the shark and the sword-fish sleep, | |
| Outflying the blast and the driving rain, | |
| The Petrel telleth her tale—in vain; | |
| For the mariner curseth the warning bird | 25 |
| Who bringeth him news of the storms unheard! | |
| Ah! thus does the prophet, of good or ill, | |
| Meet hate from the creatures he serveth still: | |
| Yet he never falters. So, Petrel! spring | |
| Once more o’er the waves on thy stormy wing! | 30 |
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