The Island.

Once ( was it long ago, dear?

Oh! hark to the sighing seas. )

We sailed to a wonderful Island

In the golden Antipodes,

Where the waves wore an azure mantle,

The winds were ever at rest,

For we'd left the Old World behind us

A thousand leagues to the West.

We came to that wonderful Island;

Girt by a ring of foam

It lay in the sea like a jewel

Under an azure dome.

The cliffs were all gold in the sunlight,

The strand was a floor of gold,

So we knew we'd come to the Island

We'd read of in tales of old.

Was it long we stayed in our Island?

( Dear, I can never say )

I know we walked on the mountains

Which looked far over the bay.

I know that we laughed for pleasure

( Were we wise or a couple of fools? )

As we gazed at the painted fishes

Which swam in the shallow pools.

And night drew over our Island

The purple pall of the skies,

The air was heavy with fragrance

And soft with the breath of sighs,

And voices out of the forest,

Voices out of the sea,

Told the eternal secret....

Told it to you and me.

And the stars came down from the heavens,

And the magical tropic moon,

To dance a measure together

Over the still lagoon;

And the whisper of distant forests,

The noise of the surf in our ears,

Seemed like the song of the ages

Sung by the passing years.

But we said “farewell” to our Island

Which we had discovered alone....

The sand... and the palms... and the headland....

The westering wind... and the sun.

We said “farewell” to our Island

( Oh! hark to the sullen rain! )

... And I knew as it fell behind us

We should not see it again.

For only a few may go there

And they but once may go,

With glamour of stars above them

And the swinging seas below.

But I still hear its forests whisper,

The noise of the surf on the shore,

In that far-off wonderful Island

Which I shall see no more.