II.

The wandering airs they faint
On the dark, the silent stream—­
And the Champak’s odours fail
Like sweet thoughts in a dream;
The nightingale’s complaint,
It dies upon her heart;—­
As I must on thine,
O! beloved as thou art!

III.

O lift me from the grass! 
I die!  I faint!  I fail! 
Let thy love in kisses rain
On my lips and eyelids pale. 
My cheek is cold and white, alas! 
My heart beats loud and fast;—­
Oh! press it to thine own again,
Where it will break at last.

80. To ——.

I.

I fear thy kisses, gentle maiden,
  Thou needest not fear mine;
My spirit is too deeply laden
  Ever to burthen thine.

II.

I fear thy mien, thy tones, thy motion,
  Thou needest not fear mine;
Innocent is the heart’s devotion
  With which I worship thine.

81. To Night.

I.

Swiftly walk over the western wave,
          Spirit of Night! 
Out of the misty eastern cave,
Where all the long and lone daylight,
Thou wovest dreams of joy and fear,
Which make thee terrible and dear,—­
          Swift be thy flight!

II.

Wrap thy form in a mantle gray,
          Star-inwrought! 
Blind with thine hair the eyes of Day;
Kiss her until she be wearied out,
Then wander o’er city, and sea, and land,
Touching all with thine opiate wand—­
          Come, long sought!

III.

When I arose and saw the dawn,
          I sigh’d for thee;
When light rode high, and the dew was gone,
And noon lay heavy on flower and tree,
And the weary Day turned to his rest,
Lingering like an unloved guest,
          I sighed for thee.

IV.

Thy brother Death came, and cried,
          Wouldst thou me? 
Thy sweet child Sleep, the filmy-eyed,
Murmured like a noon-tide bee,
Shall I nestle near thy side? 
Wouldst thou me?—­And I replied,
          No, not thee!

V.

Death will come when thou art dead,
          Soon, too soon—­
Sleep will come when thou art fled;
Of neither would I ask the boon
I ask of thee, beloved Night—­
Swift be thine approaching flight,
          Come soon, soon!

Buxton Forman’s Text.

* * * * *

JAMES SHIRLEY.

82. Song from ’Ajax and Ulysses.’