Song VII: Dawn Talks To Day

Dawn talks to Day

        Over dew-gleaming flowers,

    Night flies away

        Till the resting of hours:

    Fresh are thy feet

        And with dreams thine eyes glistening,

    Thy still lips are sweet

        Though the world is a-listening.

O Love, set a word in my mouth for our meeting,

Cast thine arms round about me to stay my heart's beating!

    O fresh day, O fair day, O long day made ours!

    Morn shall meet noon

        While the flower-stems yet move,

    Though the wind dieth soon

        And the clouds fade above.

    Loved lips are thine

        As I tremble and hearken;

    Bright thine eyes shine,

        Though the leaves thy brow darken.

O Love, kiss me into silence, lest no word avail me,

Stay my head with thy bosom lest breath and life fail me!

        O sweet day, O rich day, made long for our love!

    Late day shall greet eve,

        And the full blossoms shake,

    For the wind will not leave

        The tall trees while they wake.

    Eyes soft with bliss,

        Come nigher and nigher!

    Sweet mouth I kiss,

        Tell me all thy desire!

Let us speak, love, together some words of our story,

That our lips as they part may remember the glory!

        O soft day, O calm day, made clear for our sake!

    Eve shall kiss night,

        And the leaves stir like rain

    As the wind stealeth light

        O'er the grass of the plain.

    Unseen are thine eyes

        Mid the dreamy night's sleeping,

    And on my mouth there lies

        The dear rain of thy weeping.

Hold silence, love, speak not of the sweet day departed,

Cling close to me, love, lest I waken sad-hearted!

        O kind day, O dear day, short day, come again!