| 1836 | |
| Soft o'er the surface creep the lustres pale Tracking with silvering path the changeful gale. ... those lustres pale Tracking the fitful motions of the gale. | 1793 1815 |
Soft o'er the surface creep the lustres pale
Tracking with silvering path the changeful gale.
... those lustres pale
Tracking the fitful motions of the gale.
| 1815 | |
| —'Tis restless magic all; at once the bright[vi] Breaks on the shade, the shade upon the light, Fair Spirits are abroad; in sportive chase Brushing with lucid wands the water's face, While music stealing round the glimmering deeps Charms the tall circle of th' enchanted steeps. —As thro' th' astonished woods the notes ascend, The mountain streams their rising song suspend; Below Eve's listening Star, the sheep walk stills It's drowsy tinklings on th' attentive hills; The milkmaid stops her ballad, and her pail Stays it's low murmur in th' unbreathing vale; No night-duck clamours for his wilder'd mate, Aw'd, while below the Genii hold their state. —The pomp is fled, and mute the wondrous strains, No wrack of all the pageant scene remains, [vii]So vanish [those] fair Shadows, human Joys, But Death alone their vain regret destroys. Unheeded Night has overcome the vales, On the dark earth the baffl'd vision fails, If peep between the clouds a star on high, There turns for glad repose the weary eye; The latest lingerer of the forest train, The lone-black fir, forsakes the faded plain; Last evening sight, the cottage smoke no more, Lost in the deepen'd darkness, glimmers hoar; High towering from the sullen dark-brown mere, Like a black wall, the mountain steeps appear, Thence red from different heights with restless gleam Small cottage lights across the water stream, Nought else of man or life remains behind To call from other worlds the wilder'd mind, Till pours the wakeful bird her solemn strains [viii]Heard by [the] night-calm of the watry plains. —No purple prospects now the mind employ Glowing in golden sunset tints of joy, But o'er the sooth'd ... | Only in the edition of 1793. |
—'Tis restless magic all; at once the bright[vi]
Breaks on the shade, the shade upon the light,
Fair Spirits are abroad; in sportive chase
Brushing with lucid wands the water's face,
While music stealing round the glimmering deeps
Charms the tall circle of th' enchanted steeps.
—As thro' th' astonished woods the notes ascend,
The mountain streams their rising song suspend;
Below Eve's listening Star, the sheep walk stills
It's drowsy tinklings on th' attentive hills;
The milkmaid stops her ballad, and her pail
Stays it's low murmur in th' unbreathing vale;
No night-duck clamours for his wilder'd mate,
Aw'd, while below the Genii hold their state.
—The pomp is fled, and mute the wondrous strains,
No wrack of all the pageant scene remains,
[vii]So vanish [those] fair Shadows, human Joys,
But Death alone their vain regret destroys.
Unheeded Night has overcome the vales,
On the dark earth the baffl'd vision fails,
If peep between the clouds a star on high,
There turns for glad repose the weary eye;
The latest lingerer of the forest train,
The lone-black fir, forsakes the faded plain;
Last evening sight, the cottage smoke no more,
Lost in the deepen'd darkness, glimmers hoar;
High towering from the sullen dark-brown mere,
Like a black wall, the mountain steeps appear,
Thence red from different heights with restless gleam
Small cottage lights across the water stream,
Nought else of man or life remains behind
To call from other worlds the wilder'd mind,
Till pours the wakeful bird her solemn strains
[viii]Heard by [the] night-calm of the watry plains.
—No purple prospects now the mind employ
Glowing in golden sunset tints of joy,
But o'er the sooth'd ...
| 1836 | |
| The bird, with fading light who ceas'd to thread Silent the hedge or steaming rivulet's bed, The bird, who ceased, with fading light, to thread | 1793 1815 |