34
By the Seaside.
Till his soul was full of longing,
And he cried, with impulse strong,—
“ Helmsman! for the love of heaven,
Teach me, too, that wondrous song!”
And he cried, with impulse strong,—
“ Helmsman! for the love of heaven,
Teach me, too, that wondrous song!”
“ Wouldst thou,”—so the helmsman answered,
“ Learn the secret of the sea?
Only those who brave its dangers
Comprehend its mystery!”
“ Learn the secret of the sea?
Only those who brave its dangers
Comprehend its mystery!”
In each sail that skims the horizon,
In each landward-blowing breeze,
I behold that stately galley,
Hear those mournful melodies;
In each landward-blowing breeze,
I behold that stately galley,
Hear those mournful melodies;
Till my soul is full of longing
For the secret of the sea,
And the heart of the great ocean
Sends a thrilling pulse through me.
For the secret of the sea,
And the heart of the great ocean
Sends a thrilling pulse through me.
