“And must ye bide, yet waiting’s long, and love is strong, and love is
      strong;
  And O! had I but served the time, that takes so long to flee, O! 
And thou, my lass, by morning’s light wast all in white, wast all in
      white,
  And parson stood within the rails, a-marrying me and thee, O.”

THE FIRST WATCH.

TIRED.

I.

O, I would tell you more, but I am tired;
  For I have longed, and I have had my will;
I pleaded in my spirit, I desired: 
  “Ah! let me only see him, and be still
All my days after.” 
                    Rock, and rock, and rock,
Over the falling, rising watery world,
  Sail, beautiful ship, along the leaping main;
The chirping land-birds follow flock on flock
  To light on a warmer plain. 
White as weaned lambs the little wavelets curled,
      Fall over in harmless play,
      As these do far away;
Sail, bird of doom, along the shimmering sea,
All under thy broad wings that overshadow thee.

II.

          I am so tired,
If I would comfort me, I know not how,
  For I have seen thee, lad, as I desired,
And I have nothing left to long for now.

  Nothing at all.  And did I wait for thee,
    Often and often, while the light grew dim,
  And through the lilac branches I could see,
    Under a saffron sky, the purple rim
O’ the heaving moorland?  Ay.  And then would float
Up from behind as it were a golden boat,
Freighted with fancies, all o’ the wonder of life,
  Love—­such a slender moon, going up and up,
Waxing so fast from night to night,
And swelling like an orange flower-bud, bright,
  Fated, methought, to round as to a golden cup,
And hold to my two lips life’s best of wine. 
  Most beautiful crescent moon,
          Ship of the sky! 
  Across the unfurrowed reaches sailing high. 
    Methought that it would come my way full soon,
Laden with blessings that were all, all mine,—­
  A golden ship, with balm and spiceries rife,
  That ere its day was done should hear thee call me wife.

III.

All over! the celestial sign hath failed;
The orange flower-bud shuts; the ship hath sailed,
  And sunk behind the long low-lying hills. 
The love that fed on daily kisses dieth;
The love kept warm by nearness, lieth
    Wounded and wan;
  The love hope nourished bitter tears distils,
    And faints with naught to feed upon. 
Only there stirreth very deep below
The hidden beating slow,
And the blind yearning, and the long-drawn breath
Of the love that conquers death.

IV.