Clytie — The Sunflower

In pale green twilight lands

Under the sea

Her rainbow palace stands,

Irised and opaline;

Agate and almondine,

Corals and pearly shells

Swept from deep ocean dells,

Strewing the silver strands,

Starring the golden sands

In the green twilight lands

Under the sea.

All thro’ the dreamy day

Under the sea

Where the sea-maidens play,

Twining foam-garlands fair,

Girding their golden hair,

Clad in her moss-robe green

Veiled in her bright locks’ sheen —

Where the dim seaweeds sway,

Trackless her white feet stray

All thro’ the dreamy day

Under the sea.

Or like a star she glides

Over the sea,

Deftly her steeds she guides —

Gold-fish that glint and gleam,

Jewels alive they seem —

Softly the surges swell,

Rocking the rosy shell

Where the sea-maiden rides,

Wafture of wooing tides,

Swift as a star she glides

Over the sea.

One day she lifts her eyes

Up from the sea

Where the great sun-god flies

Over the world afar,

Guiding his golden car —

All his star brow aglow,

All his bright hair aflow;

Dawn in his radiance lies,

Dusk at his coming dies —

Hapless she lifts her eyes

Up from the sea.

Swiftly his steeds speed on

Over the sea,

Soon is the splendor flown,

Lone on the shore she stands.

Stretching imploring hands,

Lifting impassioned eyes

Where the last sun-gleam dies;

All the day's brightness gone,

Hapless she stands alone,

Heedless the god speeds on

Over the sea.

Ever her wistful gaze

Over the sea

Yearns on the sun-god's rays —

Till by some subtle power

Changed to a golden flower —

Still in her robe of green,

Crowned with her gold hair's sheen

Slight on her stem she sways...

Yet does her yearning gaze

Follow the sun-god's rays

Over the sea.