THE MERMAN. I. WHO would be A merman bold, Sitting alone, Singing alone Under the sea, With a crown of gold, On a throne? II. I would be a merman bold, I would sit and sing the whole of the day; Laughingly, laughingly; And then we would wander away, away To the pale-green sea-groves straight and high, Chasing each other merrily. III. There would be neither moon nor star; But the wave would make music above us afar— Low thunder and light in the magic night— Neither moon nor star. We would call aloud in the dreamy dells, All night, merrily, merrily; They would pelt me with starry spangles and shells, Laughing and clapping their hands between, All night, merrily, merrily: But I would throw to them back in mine Then leaping out upon them unseen And kiss them again till they kiss'd me Oh! what a happy life were mine THE MERMAID. I. WHO would be Under the sea, In a golden curl With a comb of pearl, On a throne? II. I would be a mermaid fair; I would sing to myself the whole of the day; From under my starry sea-bud crown VOL. I. Low adown and around, G And I should look like a fountain of gold Springing alone With a shrill inner sound, Over the throne In the midst of the hall; Till that great sea-snake under the sea From his coiled sleeps in the central deeps Would slowly trail himself sevenfold Round the hall where I sate, and look in at the gate With his large calm eyes for the love of me. And all the mermen under the sea Would feel their immortality Die in their hearts for the love of me. III. But at night I would wander away, away, I would fling on each side my low-flowing locks, And lightly vault from the throne and play With the mermen in and out of the rocks; But if Of the bold merry mermen under the sea; They would sue me, and woo me, and flatter me, But the king of them all would carry me, In the branching jaspers under the sea; In the hueless mosses under the sea And if I should carol aloud, from aloft All things that are forked, and horned, and soft Would lean out from the hollow sphere of the sea, All looking down for the love of me. |