Columbus
Behind him lay the gray Azores,Behind, the Gates of Hercules;Before him not the ghost of shores;Before him only shoreless seas.The good mate said: “Now must we pray,For lo! the very stars are gone.Brave Admiral, speak; what shall I say?”“Why, say ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’”“My men grow mutinous day by day;My men grow ghastly, wan and weak.”The stout mate thought of home; a sprayOf salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.“What shall I say, brave Admiral, say,If we sight naught but seas at dawn?”“Why, you shall say at break of day:‘Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!’”They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,Until at last the blanched mate said:“Why, now not even God would knowShould I and all my men fall dead.These very winds forget their way,For God from these dread seas is gone.Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say—”He said: “Sail on! sail on! and on!”They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:“This mad sea shows his teeth to-night.He curls his lip, he lies in wait,He lifts his teeth as if to bite!Brave Admiral, say but one good word:What shall we do when hope is gone?”The words leapt like a leaping sword:“Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!”Then, pale and worn, he paced his deck,And peered through darkness. Ah, that nightOf all dark nights! And then a speck—A light! A light! At last a light!It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!It grew to be Time’s burst of dawn.He gained a world; he gave that worldIts grandest lesson: “On! sail on!”
Behind him lay the gray Azores,Behind, the Gates of Hercules;Before him not the ghost of shores;Before him only shoreless seas.The good mate said: “Now must we pray,For lo! the very stars are gone.Brave Admiral, speak; what shall I say?”“Why, say ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’”“My men grow mutinous day by day;My men grow ghastly, wan and weak.”The stout mate thought of home; a sprayOf salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.“What shall I say, brave Admiral, say,If we sight naught but seas at dawn?”“Why, you shall say at break of day:‘Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!’”They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,Until at last the blanched mate said:“Why, now not even God would knowShould I and all my men fall dead.These very winds forget their way,For God from these dread seas is gone.Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say—”He said: “Sail on! sail on! and on!”They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:“This mad sea shows his teeth to-night.He curls his lip, he lies in wait,He lifts his teeth as if to bite!Brave Admiral, say but one good word:What shall we do when hope is gone?”The words leapt like a leaping sword:“Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!”Then, pale and worn, he paced his deck,And peered through darkness. Ah, that nightOf all dark nights! And then a speck—A light! A light! At last a light!It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!It grew to be Time’s burst of dawn.He gained a world; he gave that worldIts grandest lesson: “On! sail on!”
Behind him lay the gray Azores,Behind, the Gates of Hercules;Before him not the ghost of shores;Before him only shoreless seas.The good mate said: “Now must we pray,For lo! the very stars are gone.Brave Admiral, speak; what shall I say?”“Why, say ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’”
Behind him lay the gray Azores,
Behind, the Gates of Hercules;
Before him not the ghost of shores;
Before him only shoreless seas.
The good mate said: “Now must we pray,
For lo! the very stars are gone.
Brave Admiral, speak; what shall I say?”
“Why, say ‘Sail on! sail on! and on!’”
“My men grow mutinous day by day;My men grow ghastly, wan and weak.”The stout mate thought of home; a sprayOf salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.“What shall I say, brave Admiral, say,If we sight naught but seas at dawn?”“Why, you shall say at break of day:‘Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!’”
“My men grow mutinous day by day;
My men grow ghastly, wan and weak.”
The stout mate thought of home; a spray
Of salt wave washed his swarthy cheek.
“What shall I say, brave Admiral, say,
If we sight naught but seas at dawn?”
“Why, you shall say at break of day:
‘Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!’”
They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,Until at last the blanched mate said:“Why, now not even God would knowShould I and all my men fall dead.These very winds forget their way,For God from these dread seas is gone.Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say—”He said: “Sail on! sail on! and on!”
They sailed and sailed, as winds might blow,
Until at last the blanched mate said:
“Why, now not even God would know
Should I and all my men fall dead.
These very winds forget their way,
For God from these dread seas is gone.
Now speak, brave Admiral, speak and say—”
He said: “Sail on! sail on! and on!”
They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:“This mad sea shows his teeth to-night.He curls his lip, he lies in wait,He lifts his teeth as if to bite!Brave Admiral, say but one good word:What shall we do when hope is gone?”The words leapt like a leaping sword:“Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!”
They sailed. They sailed. Then spake the mate:
“This mad sea shows his teeth to-night.
He curls his lip, he lies in wait,
He lifts his teeth as if to bite!
Brave Admiral, say but one good word:
What shall we do when hope is gone?”
The words leapt like a leaping sword:
“Sail on! sail on! sail on! and on!”
Then, pale and worn, he paced his deck,And peered through darkness. Ah, that nightOf all dark nights! And then a speck—A light! A light! At last a light!It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!It grew to be Time’s burst of dawn.He gained a world; he gave that worldIts grandest lesson: “On! sail on!”
Then, pale and worn, he paced his deck,
And peered through darkness. Ah, that night
Of all dark nights! And then a speck—
A light! A light! At last a light!
It grew, a starlit flag unfurled!
It grew to be Time’s burst of dawn.
He gained a world; he gave that world
Its grandest lesson: “On! sail on!”
Joaquin Miller.