| Lines 179-185 were substituted in 1845 for: | |
| A giant moan along the forest swells Protracted, and the twilight storm foretels, And, ruining from the cliffs, their deafening load Tumbles,—the wildering Thunder slips abroad; On the high summits Darkness comes and goes, Hiding their fiery clouds, their rocks, and snows; The torrent, traversed by the lustre broad, Starts like a horse beside the flashing road; In the roofed bridge, at that terrific hour, She seeks a shelter from the battering show'r. —Fierce comes the river down; the crashing wood Gives way, and half it's pines torment the flood; [iv]Fearful, [beneath], the Water-spirits call, And the bridge vibrates, tottering to its fall. When rueful moans along the forest swell Protracted, and the twilight storm foretel, And, headlong from the cliffs, a deafening load Tumbles,—and wildering thunder slips abroad; When on the summits Darkness comes and goes, Hiding their fiery clouds, their rocks, and snows; And the fierce torrent, from the lustre broad, Starts, like a horse beside the flashing road— She seeks a covert from the battering shower In the roofed bridge; the bridge, in that dread hour, Itself all quaking at the torrent's power. | 1820 1836 |
A giant moan along the forest swells
Protracted, and the twilight storm foretels,
And, ruining from the cliffs, their deafening load
Tumbles,—the wildering Thunder slips abroad;
On the high summits Darkness comes and goes,
Hiding their fiery clouds, their rocks, and snows;
The torrent, traversed by the lustre broad,
Starts like a horse beside the flashing road;
In the roofed bridge, at that terrific hour,
She seeks a shelter from the battering show'r.
—Fierce comes the river down; the crashing wood
Gives way, and half it's pines torment the flood;
[iv]Fearful, [beneath], the Water-spirits call,
And the bridge vibrates, tottering to its fall.
When rueful moans along the forest swell
Protracted, and the twilight storm foretel,
And, headlong from the cliffs, a deafening load
Tumbles,—and wildering thunder slips abroad;
When on the summits Darkness comes and goes,
Hiding their fiery clouds, their rocks, and snows;
And the fierce torrent, from the lustre broad,
Starts, like a horse beside the flashing road—
She seeks a covert from the battering shower
In the roofed bridge; the bridge, in that dread hour,
Itself all quaking at the torrent's power.
| 1845 Lines 186-195 were substituted in 1845 for: | |
| —Heavy, and dull, and cloudy is the night; No star supplies the comfort of it's light, Glimmer the dim-lit Alps, dilated, round, [And] one sole light shifts in the vale profound[1]; While[2], opposite, the waning moon hangs still, And red, above her[3] melancholy hill. By the deep quiet gloom appalled, she sighs,[4] Stoops her sick head, and shuts her weary eyes. She hears, upon the mountain forest's brow, The death-dog, howling loud and long, below; —Breaking th' ascending roar of desert floods, And [insect] buzz, that stuns the sultry woods[5], On viewless fingers[6] counts the valley-clock, Followed by drowsy crow of midnight cock. —Bursts from the troubled larch's giant boughs The [pie], and, chattering, breaks the night's repose[7]. The dry leaves stir as with the serpent's walk, And, far beneath, Banditti voices talk; [Behind] her hill[8], the Moon, all crimson, rides, And his red eyes the slinking Water hides. —Vexed by the darkness, from the piny gulf [Ascending], nearer howls the famished wolf[9], While thro' the stillness scatters wild dismay Her babe's small cry, that leads him to his prey. | 1820 |
—Heavy, and dull, and cloudy is the night;
No star supplies the comfort of it's light,
Glimmer the dim-lit Alps, dilated, round,
[And] one sole light shifts in the vale profound[1];
While[2], opposite, the waning moon hangs still,
And red, above her[3] melancholy hill.
By the deep quiet gloom appalled, she sighs,[4]
Stoops her sick head, and shuts her weary eyes.
She hears, upon the mountain forest's brow,
The death-dog, howling loud and long, below;
—Breaking th' ascending roar of desert floods,
And [insect] buzz, that stuns the sultry woods[5],
On viewless fingers[6] counts the valley-clock,
Followed by drowsy crow of midnight cock.
—Bursts from the troubled larch's giant boughs
The [pie], and, chattering, breaks the night's repose[7].
The dry leaves stir as with the serpent's walk,
And, far beneath, Banditti voices talk;
[Behind] her hill[8], the Moon, all crimson, rides,
And his red eyes the slinking Water hides.
—Vexed by the darkness, from the piny gulf
[Ascending], nearer howls the famished wolf[9],
While thro' the stillness scatters wild dismay
Her babe's small cry, that leads him to his prey.