Poems (Follen)/"Flow on, thou shining River"

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
4531661Poems — "Flow on, thou shining River"Eliza Lee Cabot Follen
"FLOW ON, THOU SHINING RIVER."
"Flow on, thou shining river,"
  Flow gaily to the sea;
Flow on in beauty ever,
  With all thy melody.
Where has thy gentle current strayed?
Teach all thy joyous tale to me;
Let it flow on through light and shade;
My song shall follow thee.

Through meadows now meander,
  With graceful sweet delay;
And now, through green woods wander,
  Where scarcely peeps the day:
Now, where the lofty bank hangs o'er,
Pursue thy wild, romantic way;
Down the steep rocks now swiftly pour,
Like time, that cannot stay.

Its murmurs now increasing,
  On thy glad current goes;
And now, with roar unceasing,
  The rapid torrent flows;
And now, all tossed in feathery foam,
Sparkling with rainbow light it glows;
It seems impatient for its home,
And hastening to repose.

Flow on, thou shining river,
  Thou soon shalt reach the sea;
Thus we are passing ever,
  And haste away like thee.
Wave after wave, in ceaseless flow,
Moves onward to eternity:
O may the stream thy gladness know,
And thy sweet melody!