She brought a vast design to pass,
When Europe and the scatter’d ends
Of our fierce world were mixt as friends
And brethren, in her halls of glass.]
[Footnote 6: 1851. Broader yet.]
[Footnote 7: With this cf. Shelley, ’Ode
to Liberty’:—
Athens diviner yet
Gleam’d with its crest of columns
on the will
Of man.]
In 1830 and in 1842 edd. the poem is in one long stanza,
with a full stop in 1830 ed. after line 8; 1842 ed.
omits the full stop. The name “Claribel”
may have been suggested by Spenser (’F.
Q.’, ii., iv., or Shakespeare, ’Tempest’).
Where Claribel low-lieth
The breezes pause and die,
Letting the rose-leaves fall:
But the solemn oak-tree sigheth,
Thick-leaved, ambrosial,
With an ancient melody
Of an inward agony,
Where Claribel low-lieth.
At eve the beetle boometh
Athwart the thicket lone:
At noon the wild bee [1] hummeth
About the moss’d headstone:
At midnight the moon cometh,
And looketh down alone.
Her song the lintwhite swelleth,
The clear-voiced mavis dwelleth,
The callow throstle [2] lispeth,
The slumbrous wave outwelleth,
The babbling runnel crispeth,
The hollow grot replieth
Where Claribel low-lieth.
[Footnote 1: 1830. “Wild” omitted,
and “low” inserted with a hyphen before
“hummeth".]
[Footnote 2: 1851 and all previous editions,
“fledgling” for “callow".]
Airy, fairy Lilian,
Flitting, fairy Lilian,
When I ask her if she love me,
Claps her tiny hands above me,
Laughing all she can;
She’ll not tell me if she love me,
Cruel little Lilian.
When my passion seeks
Pleasance in love-sighs
She, looking thro’ and thro’
[1] me
Thoroughly to undo me,
Smiling, never speaks:
So innocent-arch, so cunning-simple,
From beneath her gather’d wimple
[2]
Glancing with black-beaded eyes,
Till the lightning laughters dimple
The baby-roses in her cheeks;
Then away she flies.
Prythee weep, May Lilian!
Gaiety without eclipse
Wearieth me, May Lilian:
Thro’ [3] my very heart it thrilleth
When from crimson-threaded [4] lips
Silver-treble laughter [5] trilleth:
Prythee weep, May Lilian.
Praying all I can,
If prayers will not hush thee,
Airy Lilian,
Like a rose-leaf I will crush thee,
Fairy Lilian.
[Footnote 1: 1830. Through and through me.]
[Footnote 2: 1830. Purfled.]
