ELDORADO.Gaily bedight,A gallant knight,In sunshine and in shadow,Had journeyed long,Singing a song,In search of Eldorado.But he grew old—This knight so bold—And o’er his heart a shadowFell, as he foundNo spot of groundThat looked like Eldorado.And, as his strengthFailed him at length,He met a pilgrim shadow—‘Shadow,’ said he,‘Where can it be—This land of Eldorado?’‘Over the MountainsOf the Moon,Down the Valley of the Shadow,Ride, boldly ride,’The shade replied,—‘If you seek for Eldorado!’1849.EULALIEI DWELT aloneIn a world of moan,And my soul was a stagnant tide,Till the fair and gentle Eulalie became my blushing bride—Till the yellow-haired young Eulalie became my smiling bride.Ah, less—less brightThe stars of the nightThan the eyes of the radiant girl!And never a flakeThat the vapour can makeWith the moon-tints of purple and pearl,Can vie with the modest Eulalie’s most unregarded curl—Can compare with the bright-eyed Eulalie’s most humble and careless curl.Now Doubt—now PainCome never again,For her soul gives me sigh for sigh,And all day longShines, bright and strong,Astarté within the sky,While ever to her dear Eulalie upturns her matron eye—While ever to her young Eulalie upturns her violet eye.1845.A DREAM WITHIN A DREAMTake this kiss upon the brow!And, in parting from you now,Thus much let me avow—You are not wrong, who deemThat my days have been a dream;Yet if hope has flown awayIn a night, or in a day,In a vision, or in none,Is it therefore the lessgone?Allthat we see or seemIs but a dream within a dream.I stand amid the roarOf a surf-tormented shore,And I hold within my handGrains of the golden sand—How few! yet how they creepThrough my fingers to the deep,While I weep—while I weep!O God! can I not graspThem with a tighter clasp?O God! can I not saveOnefrom the pitiless wave?Isallthat we see or seemBut a dream within a dream?.1849
Gaily bedight,A gallant knight,In sunshine and in shadow,Had journeyed long,Singing a song,In search of Eldorado.But he grew old—This knight so bold—And o’er his heart a shadowFell, as he foundNo spot of groundThat looked like Eldorado.And, as his strengthFailed him at length,He met a pilgrim shadow—‘Shadow,’ said he,‘Where can it be—This land of Eldorado?’‘Over the MountainsOf the Moon,Down the Valley of the Shadow,Ride, boldly ride,’The shade replied,—‘If you seek for Eldorado!’
1849.
EULALIEI DWELT aloneIn a world of moan,And my soul was a stagnant tide,Till the fair and gentle Eulalie became my blushing bride—Till the yellow-haired young Eulalie became my smiling bride.Ah, less—less brightThe stars of the nightThan the eyes of the radiant girl!And never a flakeThat the vapour can makeWith the moon-tints of purple and pearl,Can vie with the modest Eulalie’s most unregarded curl—Can compare with the bright-eyed Eulalie’s most humble and careless curl.Now Doubt—now PainCome never again,For her soul gives me sigh for sigh,And all day longShines, bright and strong,Astarté within the sky,While ever to her dear Eulalie upturns her matron eye—While ever to her young Eulalie upturns her violet eye.
1845.
A DREAM WITHIN A DREAMTake this kiss upon the brow!And, in parting from you now,Thus much let me avow—You are not wrong, who deemThat my days have been a dream;Yet if hope has flown awayIn a night, or in a day,In a vision, or in none,Is it therefore the lessgone?Allthat we see or seemIs but a dream within a dream.I stand amid the roarOf a surf-tormented shore,And I hold within my handGrains of the golden sand—How few! yet how they creepThrough my fingers to the deep,While I weep—while I weep!O God! can I not graspThem with a tighter clasp?O God! can I not saveOnefrom the pitiless wave?Isallthat we see or seemBut a dream within a dream?.
1849