THE ISLES OF THE SEA FAIRIES
Amongthe Isles of the Golden Mist,I lived for many a year;And all that chanced unto me there’Tis well that ye should hear.I dwelt in a hall of silvery pearl,With rainbow-light inlaid;I sate on a throne, old as the sea,Of the ruby coral made.They made me King of the Fairy Isles,That lie in the Golden Mist,Where the coral rocks and the silvery sandBy singing waves are kissed.Far off, in the ocean solitudes,They lie, a glorious seven;Like a beautiful group of sister stars,In the untraced heights of heaven.Oh, beautiful Isles! where the coral rocksLike an ancient temple stand,Like a temple of wondrous workmanshipFor a lofty worship planned!Oh, beautiful Isles! And a Fairy race,As the dream of a poet, fair,Now hold the place by a charmèd spell,With power o’er sea and air.Their boats are made of the large pearl-shellThat the waters cast to land;With carvèd prows more richly wroughtThan works of mortal hand.They skim along the silver wavesWithout or sail or oar;Whenever the Fairy voyager would,The pearl-ship comes to shore.I loved that idle life for a time;But when that time was by,I pined again for another change,For the love in a human eye.They brought me then a glorious form,And gave her for my bride;I looked on her, and straight forgotThat I was to earth allied.For many a year and more, I dweltIn those Isles of soft delight;Where all was kind and beautiful,With neither death nor night.We danced on the sands when the silver moonThrough the coral arches gleamed,And pathways broad of glittering lightO’er the azure waters streamed.Then shot forth many a pearly boat,Like stars, across the sea;And songs were sung, and shells were blownThat set wild music free.For many a year and more, I dweltWith neither thought nor care,Till I forgot almost my speech,Forgot both creed and prayer.At length it chanced that as my boatWent on its charmèd way,I came unto the veil of mistWhich round the Seven Isles lay.Even then it was a Sabbath morn;A ship was passing by,And I heard a hundred voices raiseA sound of psalmody.A mighty love came o’er my heart,A yearning toward my kind,And unwittingly I spoke aloudThe impulse of my mind.“Oh, take me hence, ye Christian men!”I cried in spiritual want;Anon the Golden Mist gave way,That had been like adamant.The little boat wherein I sateSeemed all to melt away;And I was left upon the sea,Like Peter, in dismay.Those Christian mariners, amazed,Looked on me in affright;Some cried I was an evil Ghost,And some a Water-Sprite.But the chaplain seized the vessel’s boat,With mercy prompt and boon,And took me up into the shipAs I fell into a swoon.In vain I told of what had happed;No man to me would list;They jested at the Fairy Isles,And at the Golden Mist.They swore I was a shipwrecked man,Tossed on the dreary main;And pitied me, because they thoughtMy woes had crazed my brain.And soon a wondrous thing I saw;I now was old and gray,A man of threescore years and ten,—A weak man in decay!And yesterday, and I was young!Time did not leave a traceUpon my form, whilst I abodeWithin the charmèd place!Mary Howitt(Condensed)
Amongthe Isles of the Golden Mist,I lived for many a year;And all that chanced unto me there’Tis well that ye should hear.I dwelt in a hall of silvery pearl,With rainbow-light inlaid;I sate on a throne, old as the sea,Of the ruby coral made.They made me King of the Fairy Isles,That lie in the Golden Mist,Where the coral rocks and the silvery sandBy singing waves are kissed.Far off, in the ocean solitudes,They lie, a glorious seven;Like a beautiful group of sister stars,In the untraced heights of heaven.Oh, beautiful Isles! where the coral rocksLike an ancient temple stand,Like a temple of wondrous workmanshipFor a lofty worship planned!Oh, beautiful Isles! And a Fairy race,As the dream of a poet, fair,Now hold the place by a charmèd spell,With power o’er sea and air.Their boats are made of the large pearl-shellThat the waters cast to land;With carvèd prows more richly wroughtThan works of mortal hand.They skim along the silver wavesWithout or sail or oar;Whenever the Fairy voyager would,The pearl-ship comes to shore.I loved that idle life for a time;But when that time was by,I pined again for another change,For the love in a human eye.They brought me then a glorious form,And gave her for my bride;I looked on her, and straight forgotThat I was to earth allied.For many a year and more, I dweltIn those Isles of soft delight;Where all was kind and beautiful,With neither death nor night.We danced on the sands when the silver moonThrough the coral arches gleamed,And pathways broad of glittering lightO’er the azure waters streamed.Then shot forth many a pearly boat,Like stars, across the sea;And songs were sung, and shells were blownThat set wild music free.For many a year and more, I dweltWith neither thought nor care,Till I forgot almost my speech,Forgot both creed and prayer.At length it chanced that as my boatWent on its charmèd way,I came unto the veil of mistWhich round the Seven Isles lay.Even then it was a Sabbath morn;A ship was passing by,And I heard a hundred voices raiseA sound of psalmody.A mighty love came o’er my heart,A yearning toward my kind,And unwittingly I spoke aloudThe impulse of my mind.“Oh, take me hence, ye Christian men!”I cried in spiritual want;Anon the Golden Mist gave way,That had been like adamant.The little boat wherein I sateSeemed all to melt away;And I was left upon the sea,Like Peter, in dismay.Those Christian mariners, amazed,Looked on me in affright;Some cried I was an evil Ghost,And some a Water-Sprite.But the chaplain seized the vessel’s boat,With mercy prompt and boon,And took me up into the shipAs I fell into a swoon.In vain I told of what had happed;No man to me would list;They jested at the Fairy Isles,And at the Golden Mist.They swore I was a shipwrecked man,Tossed on the dreary main;And pitied me, because they thoughtMy woes had crazed my brain.And soon a wondrous thing I saw;I now was old and gray,A man of threescore years and ten,—A weak man in decay!And yesterday, and I was young!Time did not leave a traceUpon my form, whilst I abodeWithin the charmèd place!Mary Howitt(Condensed)
Amongthe Isles of the Golden Mist,I lived for many a year;And all that chanced unto me there’Tis well that ye should hear.
Amongthe Isles of the Golden Mist,
I lived for many a year;
And all that chanced unto me there
’Tis well that ye should hear.
I dwelt in a hall of silvery pearl,With rainbow-light inlaid;I sate on a throne, old as the sea,Of the ruby coral made.
I dwelt in a hall of silvery pearl,
With rainbow-light inlaid;
I sate on a throne, old as the sea,
Of the ruby coral made.
They made me King of the Fairy Isles,That lie in the Golden Mist,Where the coral rocks and the silvery sandBy singing waves are kissed.
They made me King of the Fairy Isles,
That lie in the Golden Mist,
Where the coral rocks and the silvery sand
By singing waves are kissed.
Far off, in the ocean solitudes,They lie, a glorious seven;Like a beautiful group of sister stars,In the untraced heights of heaven.
Far off, in the ocean solitudes,
They lie, a glorious seven;
Like a beautiful group of sister stars,
In the untraced heights of heaven.
Oh, beautiful Isles! where the coral rocksLike an ancient temple stand,Like a temple of wondrous workmanshipFor a lofty worship planned!
Oh, beautiful Isles! where the coral rocks
Like an ancient temple stand,
Like a temple of wondrous workmanship
For a lofty worship planned!
Oh, beautiful Isles! And a Fairy race,As the dream of a poet, fair,Now hold the place by a charmèd spell,With power o’er sea and air.
Oh, beautiful Isles! And a Fairy race,
As the dream of a poet, fair,
Now hold the place by a charmèd spell,
With power o’er sea and air.
Their boats are made of the large pearl-shellThat the waters cast to land;With carvèd prows more richly wroughtThan works of mortal hand.
Their boats are made of the large pearl-shell
That the waters cast to land;
With carvèd prows more richly wrought
Than works of mortal hand.
They skim along the silver wavesWithout or sail or oar;Whenever the Fairy voyager would,The pearl-ship comes to shore.
They skim along the silver waves
Without or sail or oar;
Whenever the Fairy voyager would,
The pearl-ship comes to shore.
I loved that idle life for a time;But when that time was by,I pined again for another change,For the love in a human eye.
I loved that idle life for a time;
But when that time was by,
I pined again for another change,
For the love in a human eye.
They brought me then a glorious form,And gave her for my bride;I looked on her, and straight forgotThat I was to earth allied.
They brought me then a glorious form,
And gave her for my bride;
I looked on her, and straight forgot
That I was to earth allied.
For many a year and more, I dweltIn those Isles of soft delight;Where all was kind and beautiful,With neither death nor night.
For many a year and more, I dwelt
In those Isles of soft delight;
Where all was kind and beautiful,
With neither death nor night.
We danced on the sands when the silver moonThrough the coral arches gleamed,And pathways broad of glittering lightO’er the azure waters streamed.
We danced on the sands when the silver moon
Through the coral arches gleamed,
And pathways broad of glittering light
O’er the azure waters streamed.
Then shot forth many a pearly boat,Like stars, across the sea;And songs were sung, and shells were blownThat set wild music free.
Then shot forth many a pearly boat,
Like stars, across the sea;
And songs were sung, and shells were blown
That set wild music free.
For many a year and more, I dweltWith neither thought nor care,Till I forgot almost my speech,Forgot both creed and prayer.
For many a year and more, I dwelt
With neither thought nor care,
Till I forgot almost my speech,
Forgot both creed and prayer.
At length it chanced that as my boatWent on its charmèd way,I came unto the veil of mistWhich round the Seven Isles lay.
At length it chanced that as my boat
Went on its charmèd way,
I came unto the veil of mist
Which round the Seven Isles lay.
Even then it was a Sabbath morn;A ship was passing by,And I heard a hundred voices raiseA sound of psalmody.
Even then it was a Sabbath morn;
A ship was passing by,
And I heard a hundred voices raise
A sound of psalmody.
A mighty love came o’er my heart,A yearning toward my kind,And unwittingly I spoke aloudThe impulse of my mind.
A mighty love came o’er my heart,
A yearning toward my kind,
And unwittingly I spoke aloud
The impulse of my mind.
“Oh, take me hence, ye Christian men!”I cried in spiritual want;Anon the Golden Mist gave way,That had been like adamant.
“Oh, take me hence, ye Christian men!”
I cried in spiritual want;
Anon the Golden Mist gave way,
That had been like adamant.
The little boat wherein I sateSeemed all to melt away;And I was left upon the sea,Like Peter, in dismay.
The little boat wherein I sate
Seemed all to melt away;
And I was left upon the sea,
Like Peter, in dismay.
Those Christian mariners, amazed,Looked on me in affright;Some cried I was an evil Ghost,And some a Water-Sprite.
Those Christian mariners, amazed,
Looked on me in affright;
Some cried I was an evil Ghost,
And some a Water-Sprite.
But the chaplain seized the vessel’s boat,With mercy prompt and boon,And took me up into the shipAs I fell into a swoon.
But the chaplain seized the vessel’s boat,
With mercy prompt and boon,
And took me up into the ship
As I fell into a swoon.
In vain I told of what had happed;No man to me would list;They jested at the Fairy Isles,And at the Golden Mist.
In vain I told of what had happed;
No man to me would list;
They jested at the Fairy Isles,
And at the Golden Mist.
They swore I was a shipwrecked man,Tossed on the dreary main;And pitied me, because they thoughtMy woes had crazed my brain.
They swore I was a shipwrecked man,
Tossed on the dreary main;
And pitied me, because they thought
My woes had crazed my brain.
And soon a wondrous thing I saw;I now was old and gray,A man of threescore years and ten,—A weak man in decay!
And soon a wondrous thing I saw;
I now was old and gray,
A man of threescore years and ten,—
A weak man in decay!
And yesterday, and I was young!Time did not leave a traceUpon my form, whilst I abodeWithin the charmèd place!
And yesterday, and I was young!
Time did not leave a trace
Upon my form, whilst I abode
Within the charmèd place!
Mary Howitt(Condensed)
Mary Howitt(Condensed)