"O fairest, hear me now, who do thy will, Plead for thy rebel that she be not slain, But live and love and be thy servant still:430 Ah, give her joy and take away my pain, And thus two long-enduring servants gain. An easy thing this is to do for me, What need of my vain words to weary thee!
"But none the less this place will I not leave435 Until I needs must go my death to meet, Or at thy hands some happy sign receive That in great joy we twain may one day greet Thy presence here and kiss thy silver feet, Such as we deem thee, fair beyond all words,440 Victorious o'er our servants and our lords."
Then from the altar back a space he drew, But from the Queen turned not his face away, But 'gainst a pillar leaned, until the blue That arched the sky, at ending of the day,445 Was turned to ruddy gold and changing gray, And clear, but low, the nigh-ebbed windless sea In the still evening murmured ceaselessly.
And there he stood when all the sun was down, Nor had he moved, when the dim golden light,450 Like the far lustre of a godlike town, Had left the world to seeming hopeless night, Nor would he move the more when wan moonlight Streamed through the pillars for a little while, And lighted up the white Queen's changeless smile.455
Naught noted he the shallow flowing sea As step by step it set the wrack a-swim, The yellow torchlight nothing noted he Wherein with fluttering gown and half-bared limb The temple damsels sung their midnight hymn,460 And naught the doubled stillness of the fane When they were gone and all was hushed again.
But when the waves had touched the marble base, And steps the fish swim over twice a day, The dawn beheld him sunken in his place465 Upon the floor; and sleeping there he lay, Not heeding aught the little jets of spray The roughened sea brought nigh, across him cast, For as one dead all thought from him had passed.
Yet long before the sun had showed his head,470 Long ere the varied hangings on the wall Had gained once more their blue and green and red, He rose as one some well-known sign doth call When war upon the city's gates doth fall, And scarce like one fresh risen out of sleep,475 He 'gan again his broken watch to keep.
Then he turned round; not for the sea-gull's cry That wheeled above the temple in his flight, Not for the fresh south-wind that lovingly Breathed on the new-born day and dying night,480 But some strange hope 'twixt fear and great delight Drew round his face, now flushed, now pale and wan, And still constrained his eyes the sea to scan.
Now a faint light lit up the southern sky, Not sun or moon, for all the world was gray,485 But this a bright cloud seemed, that drew anigh, Lighting the dull waves that beneath it lay As toward the temple still it took its way, And still grew greater, till Milanion Saw naught for dazzling light that round him shone.490
But as he staggered with his arms outspread, Delicious unnamed odors breathed around, For languid happiness he bowed his head, And with wet eyes sank down upon the ground, Nor wished for aught, nor any dream he found495 To give him reason for that happiness, Or make him ask more knowledge of his bliss.