The Head-Land.
From this proud noble head-landHow grand to look below,Where far beneath the sea-birds soar,And ocean-waters flow.The rock-reefs clad with sea-weed,The bright green pools between,And strange wild chasms in rent cliffs, formA soul exalting scene.Dark blue the distant ocean,Unites with circling sky,So softly that their bounds sublimeElude the piercing eye.What a mighty plain extended,How fearful, awful, vast,Whilst sleeping, calm—then what in storm,When ploughed up by the blast?There float light skiffs, whose beautySwift from the sight is gone;And there gigantic merchant-shipsIn majesty move on.Ten thousand hearts are sailingAlong yon azure deep;Yet from their native land afar,Sweet thoughts of home they keep.Ah, how sublime is ocean!For bounds extending wide;But more so as a stage whereonThe human heart is tried.There hope and fear are nurtured,Love to love will oft reply;And th’ fierce might of despair is heardIn the sailor’s drowning cry.Whilst thus on ocean gazing,What thoughts our spirits throng;Too deep for tears, too deep for words,Too deep for poet’s song.The proud high capes and head-lands,Wide views far o’er the sea,Seem scarce as things of time and earth,But of eternity!
From this proud noble head-landHow grand to look below,Where far beneath the sea-birds soar,And ocean-waters flow.The rock-reefs clad with sea-weed,The bright green pools between,And strange wild chasms in rent cliffs, formA soul exalting scene.Dark blue the distant ocean,Unites with circling sky,So softly that their bounds sublimeElude the piercing eye.What a mighty plain extended,How fearful, awful, vast,Whilst sleeping, calm—then what in storm,When ploughed up by the blast?There float light skiffs, whose beautySwift from the sight is gone;And there gigantic merchant-shipsIn majesty move on.Ten thousand hearts are sailingAlong yon azure deep;Yet from their native land afar,Sweet thoughts of home they keep.Ah, how sublime is ocean!For bounds extending wide;But more so as a stage whereonThe human heart is tried.There hope and fear are nurtured,Love to love will oft reply;And th’ fierce might of despair is heardIn the sailor’s drowning cry.Whilst thus on ocean gazing,What thoughts our spirits throng;Too deep for tears, too deep for words,Too deep for poet’s song.The proud high capes and head-lands,Wide views far o’er the sea,Seem scarce as things of time and earth,But of eternity!
From this proud noble head-landHow grand to look below,Where far beneath the sea-birds soar,And ocean-waters flow.
From this proud noble head-land
How grand to look below,
Where far beneath the sea-birds soar,
And ocean-waters flow.
The rock-reefs clad with sea-weed,The bright green pools between,And strange wild chasms in rent cliffs, formA soul exalting scene.
The rock-reefs clad with sea-weed,
The bright green pools between,
And strange wild chasms in rent cliffs, form
A soul exalting scene.
Dark blue the distant ocean,Unites with circling sky,So softly that their bounds sublimeElude the piercing eye.
Dark blue the distant ocean,
Unites with circling sky,
So softly that their bounds sublime
Elude the piercing eye.
What a mighty plain extended,How fearful, awful, vast,Whilst sleeping, calm—then what in storm,When ploughed up by the blast?
What a mighty plain extended,
How fearful, awful, vast,
Whilst sleeping, calm—then what in storm,
When ploughed up by the blast?
There float light skiffs, whose beautySwift from the sight is gone;And there gigantic merchant-shipsIn majesty move on.
There float light skiffs, whose beauty
Swift from the sight is gone;
And there gigantic merchant-ships
In majesty move on.
Ten thousand hearts are sailingAlong yon azure deep;Yet from their native land afar,Sweet thoughts of home they keep.
Ten thousand hearts are sailing
Along yon azure deep;
Yet from their native land afar,
Sweet thoughts of home they keep.
Ah, how sublime is ocean!For bounds extending wide;But more so as a stage whereonThe human heart is tried.
Ah, how sublime is ocean!
For bounds extending wide;
But more so as a stage whereon
The human heart is tried.
There hope and fear are nurtured,Love to love will oft reply;And th’ fierce might of despair is heardIn the sailor’s drowning cry.
There hope and fear are nurtured,
Love to love will oft reply;
And th’ fierce might of despair is heard
In the sailor’s drowning cry.
Whilst thus on ocean gazing,What thoughts our spirits throng;Too deep for tears, too deep for words,Too deep for poet’s song.
Whilst thus on ocean gazing,
What thoughts our spirits throng;
Too deep for tears, too deep for words,
Too deep for poet’s song.
The proud high capes and head-lands,Wide views far o’er the sea,Seem scarce as things of time and earth,But of eternity!
The proud high capes and head-lands,
Wide views far o’er the sea,
Seem scarce as things of time and earth,
But of eternity!