Читать книгу The Two Twilights - Henry A. Beers - Страница 7

Mine eyes have seen when once at sunset hour

White lily flocks that edged a lonely lake

All rose and sank upon the lifting swell

That swayed their long stems lazily, and lapped

Their floating pads and stirred among the leaves.

And when the sun from western gates of day

Poured colored flames, they, kissed to ruddy shame,

So blushed through snowy petals, that they glowed

Like roses morning-blown in dewy bowers,

When garden-walks lie dark with early shade.

That so their perfumed chalices were brimmed

With liquid glory till they overflowed

And spilled rich lights and purple shadows out,

That splashed the pool with gold, and stained its waves

In tints of violet and ruby blooms.

But when the flashing gem that lit the day

Dropped in its far blue casket of the hills,

The rainbow paintings faded from the mere,

The wine-dark shades grew black, the gilding dimmed,

While, paling slow through tender amber hues,

The crimsoned lilies blanched to coldest white,

And wanly shivered in the evening breeze.

When twilight closed – when earliest dew-drops fell

All frosty-chill deep down their golden hearts,

They shrank at that still touch, as maidens shrink,

When love's first footstep frights with sweet alarms

The untrod wildness of their virgin breasts;

Then shut their ivory cups, and dipping low

Their folded beauties in the gloomy wave,

They nodded drowsily and heaved in sleep.

But sweeter far than summer dreams at dawn,

Their mingled breaths from out the darkness stole,

Across the silent lake, the winding shores,

The shadowy hills that rose in lawny slopes,

The marsh among whose reeds the wild fowl screamed,

And dusky woodlands where the night came down.