Like a mist, and then flew to her waters and lay
In love-patience long hours, and sore dazzled her eyes
In watching for mine ’gainst the midsummer skies. 
But now they were heal’d,—­O my heart, it still dances
When I think of the charm of her changeable glances,
And my image how small when it sank in the deep
Of her eyes where her soul was,—­Alas! now they weep,
And none knoweth where.  In what stream do her eyes
Shed invisible tears?  Who beholds where her sighs
Flow in eddies, or sees the ascent of the leaf
She has pluck’d with her tresses?  Who listens her grief
Like a far fall of waters, or hears where her feet
Grow emphatic among the loose pebbles, and beat
Them together?  Ah! surely her flowers float adown
To the sea unaccepted, and little ones drown
For need of her mercy,—­even he whose twin-brother
Will miss him forever; and the sorrowful mother
Imploreth in vain for his body to kiss
And cling to, all dripping and cold as it is,
Because that soft pity is lost in hard pain
We loved,—­how we loved!—­for I thought not again
Of the woes that were whisper’d like fears in that place
If I gave me to beauty.  Her face was the face,
Far away, and her eyes were the eyes that were drown’d
For my absence,—­her arms were the arms that sought round
And claspt me to nought; for I gazed and became
Only true to my falsehood, and had but one name
For two loves, and call’d ever on AEgle, sweet maid
Of the sky-loving waters,—­and was not afraid
Of the sight of her skin;—­for it never could be;
Her beauty and love were misfortunes to me!

Thus our bliss had endured for a time-shorten’d space,
Like a day made of three, and the smile of her face
Had been with me for joy,—­when she told me indeed
Her love was self-task’d with a work that would need
Some short hours, for in truth ’twas the veriest pity
Our love should not last, and then sang me a ditty,
Of one with warm lips that should love her, and love her
When suns were burnt dim and long ages past over. 
So she fled with her voice, and I patiently nested
My limbs in the reeds, in still quiet, and rested
Till my thoughts grew extinct, and I sank in a sleep
Of dreams,—­but their meaning was hidden too deep
To be read what their woe was;—­but still it was woe
That was writ on all faces that swam to and fro
In that river of night;—­and the gaze of their eyes
Was sad,—­and the bend of their brows,—­and their cries
Were seen, but I heard not.  The warm touch of tears
Travell’d down my cold cheeks, and I shook till my fears
Awaked me, and lo!  I was couch’d in a bower,
The growth of long summers rear’d up in an hour! 
Then I said, in the fear of my dream, I will fly
From this magic, but could not, because that my eye
Grew love-idle among the rich blooms; and the earth
Held me down with its coolness of touch, and the mirth