And pierced the iron-plated breast of Night

With ten thousand starry-spangled blades of fire.

Night, wounded by the arrows of the Sun,

Poured out ten thousand streams of living blood

That dripped from every fire-tipped arrow dire

Down in the sorrowing sea; and the wounds each one

And the arrows all lay skyed in the doming flood.

II.

Triumphant Darkness stretched his blackened height

Along the ground of heaven; all bleeding lay