On they went then, he and she,
Walking toward the East;
And her sisters of the sea
Their bewailing ceased
As it paled towards the dawn,
From the light they fled;
But she laughed with joy new-born.
"Is this life?" she said.
There was labour of the day,
Dust upon her feet,
Scorching of the shadeless way,
Clamour of the street;
All a human want and pain,
Laughter fraught with tears,
Toil, when toil we know is vain,
Hope, when hopes are fears;
Till this creature of the sea
At the last became
Human, in her misery,
Joy, and pride, and shame.
With a word he left her then
"Woman that you are,
Mystery attracts us men
Draws us from afar.
"Sea-nymph as you were, a thing
Intangible, unknown,
Like the light the sunbeams fling,
Where the spray is blown,
"Sea-nymph have you ceased to be,
Forfeited the whole
Of that moonlight poetry,
Cherished by man's soul;
"Still we seek the dim Ideal
As the moth the star,
How for women can we feel
That our seekings bar?"
Where the water meets the sands,
All alone sat she,
With her head between her hands,
Facing from the sea;