LINES ON THE DEATH OF EDWARD JOHN TRELAWNY

Last high star of the years whose thunder

Still men's listening remembrance hears,

Last light left of our fathers’ years,

Watched with honour and hailed with wonder

Thee too then have the years borne under,

Thou too then hast regained thy peers.

Wings that warred with the winds of morning,

Storm-winds rocking the red great dawn,

Close at last, and a film is drawn

Over the eyes of the storm-bird, scorning

Now no longer the loud wind's warning,

Waves that threaten or waves that fawn.

Peers were none of thee left us living,

Peers of theirs we shall see no more.

Eight years over the full fourscore

Knew thee: now shalt thou sleep, forgiving

All griefs past of the wild world's giving,

Moored at last on the stormless shore.

Worldwide liberty's lifelong lover,

Lover no less of the strength of song,

Sea-king, swordsman, hater of wrong,

Over thy dust that the dust shall cover

Comes my song as a bird to hover,

Borne of its will as of wings along.

Cherished of thee were this brief song's brothers

Now that follows them, cherishing thee.

Over the tides and the tideless sea

Soft as a smile of the earth our mother's

Flies it faster than all those others,

First of the troop at thy tomb to be.

Memories of Greece and the mountain's hollow

Guarded alone of thy loyal sword

Hold thy name for our hearts in ward:

Yet more fain are our hearts to follow

One way now with the southward swallow

Back to the grave of the man their lord.

Heart of hearts, art thou moved not, hearing

Surely, if hearts of the dead may hear,

Whose true heart it is now draws near?

Surely the sense of it thrills thee, cheering

Darkness and death with the news now nearing —

Shelley, Trelawny rejoins thee here.