Posthumous Poems/A Song for Margaret Midhurst

by Algernon Charles Swinburne

A SONG FOR MARGARET
MIDHURST

God send the sea sorrow
And all men that sail thorough.

God give the wild sea woe,
And all ships that therein go.

My love went out with dawn's light;
He went down ere it was night.

God give no live man good
That sails over the sea's flood.

God give all live men teen
That sail over the waves green,

God send for my love's sake
All their lovers' hearts break.

Many sails went over sea;
One took my heart from me.

All they, saving one,
Came in landward under the sun.

Many sails stood in from sea;
One twinned my heart and me.

Waves white and waves black,
One sail they sent not back.

Many maidens laughed that tide;
I fell down and sore sighed.

Many mouths I saw kiss;
No man kissed there mine, I wis.

Many gat there brooch and glove;
I gat but loss of love.

I rose and sighed sore;
I set my face from the shore.

On my fingers fair gold rings,
In my heart bitter things.

In mine hair combs of pride,
I stood up and sore sighed.

I looked out over sea;
Never a man's eye looked to me.

I cried out over the tide;
Never a man's mouth on me cried.

I came there a goodly thing;
I was full wan ere evening.

I came there fresh and red;
I came thence like one dead.

I came there glad and lief;
I came thence with heart's grief.

God give all men grief, I say,
That sail over the seas grey.

I laid my head to the sea-stone;
I made my bed there alone.

I made my bed into the sand,
Betwixen sea and green land.

Betwixen land and green sea
Sorrows and sorrows fell on me.

In yellow sea-sand washen well,
Weary watches on me fell.

There all a night I lay:
I would I had died ere day.

There in the young light
I looked over the waves white.

There all a day I stood
Looking over the sea's flood.

I saw waves black and green,
But no man's sail between.

I saw waves blue and white,
But no sails under the light.

There was no wind passed me by,
But I was like to die.

I sought long and I sought sore,
And aye my tears fell more.

I found sorrow and much pain,
But not my lover again.

God gave me a green bed
And no pillow to my head.

God gave me brief life’s breath
And a good sleep after death.