Therefore from nature’s inner shrine,
  Where gods and fiends in worship bend,
Majestic spirit, be it thine
  The flame to seize, the veil to rend,
  Where the vast snake Eternity 100
  In charmed sleep doth ever lie.

All that inspires thy voice of love,
  Or speaks in thy unclosing eyes,
Or through thy frame doth burn or move,
  Or think or feel, awake, arise! 105
  Spirit, leave for mine and me
  Earth’s unsubstantial mimicry!

It ceased, and from the mute and moveless frame
  A radiant spirit arose,
All beautiful in naked purity. 110
Robed in its human hues it did ascend,
Disparting as it went the silver clouds,
It moved towards the car, and took its seat
  Beside the Daemon shape.

Obedient to the sweep of aery song, 115
  The mighty ministers
Unfurled their prismy wings. 
  The magic car moved on;
The night was fair, innumerable stars
  Studded heaven’s dark blue vault; 120
  The eastern wave grew pale
  With the first smile of morn. 
  The magic car moved on. 
  From the swift sweep of wings
The atmosphere in flaming sparkles flew; 125
  And where the burning wheels
Eddied above the mountain’s loftiest peak
  Was traced a line of lightning. 
Now far above a rock the utmost verge
  Of the wide earth it flew, 130
The rival of the Andes, whose dark brow
  Frowned o’er the silver sea. 
Far, far below the chariot’s stormy path,
  Calm as a slumbering babe,
  Tremendous ocean lay. 135
Its broad and silent mirror gave to view
  The pale and waning stars,
  The chariot’s fiery track,
  And the grey light of morn
  Tingeing those fleecy clouds 140
That cradled in their folds the infant dawn. 
  The chariot seemed to fly
Through the abyss of an immense concave,
Radiant with million constellations, tinged
  With shades of infinite colour, 145
  And semicircled with a belt
  Flashing incessant meteors.

  As they approached their goal,
The winged shadows seemed to gather speed. 
The sea no longer was distinguished; earth 150
Appeared a vast and shadowy sphere, suspended
  In the black concave of heaven
  With the sun’s cloudless orb,
  Whose rays of rapid light
Parted around the chariot’s swifter course, 155
And fell like ocean’s feathery spray
  Dashed from the boiling surge
  Before a vessel’s prow.