YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU LOVED ME.
When summer's rosy twilight fell,
Upon yon river's gentle swell,
Leading the spirit by its song,
As through the land it sweeps along;
We watched the stars, those worlds of love,
That swim yon azure seas above—
We heard each other's heart-pulse beat,
In unison divinely sweet.
Your virgin hand was laid in mine,
I gazed into your spirit's shrine:
We lost the sense of stars and earth,
And of the dancing waters' mirth:
We only saw each other then;
We look'd as if no more again,
And our tumultuous hearts should die,
In that wild dream of ecstasy.
I clasped you to my bosom there,
I played with your dishevell'd hair;
And then the thoughts which long had slept
Within us, waken'd; and we wept.
We wept to think of what had past—
The doubt—the trial—joy at last—
We wept to think of mournful fears—
We wept to hail the future years.
I ceased to shed such happy tears,
I whisper'd comfort in your ears,
I press'd you closer to my heart,
Till mine no more could throb apart.
But then we smiled, we laughed to feel
The heaven which deep love can reveal;
We laughed that Love had ever bound,
His golden bands our souls around!
Do you not know the boundless bliss
Which follows true love's lightning kiss;
For, in that hour with heaven above,
Your cheeks, your mouth received my love.
And when that deep, blest trance was o'er,
And we could clasp and kiss no more;
Love's dear confessions had been made,
And we no more could be afraid;
When Angels' pens had writ the vow
Which nothing can dissever now;
Our hearts return'd to Nature's face,
To planets, and the waters' race.
All, all was calm; all, all was bright;
The moon was climbing to yon height,
Of Heaven's blue cone, rough round with stars,
With Venus—but no angry Mars.