Lines to her who can understand them

he song that o’er me hovered,In summer’s hour, in summer’s hour,To-day with joy has coveredMy winter bower, my winter bower.Blest be the lips that breathe it,As mine have been, as mine have been,When pressed in dreams beneath it,To hers unseen, to hers unseen.And may her heart, whereverIts hope may be, its hope may be,Beat happily, though neverTo beat for me, to beat for me!

Is she a spirit givenOne hour to earth, one hour to earth,To bring me dreams from heaven,Her place of birth, her place of birth?Or minstrel maiden hidden,Like cloistered nun, like cloistered nun,A bud, a flower forbidden,To air and sun, to air and sun?

For had I power to summon,With harp divine, with harp divine,The angel or the woman,The last were mine, the last were mine.

If earth-born beauty’s fingersAwaked the lay, awaked the lay,Whose echoed music lingersAround my way, around my way,Where smiles the hearth she blessesWith voice and eye, with voice and eye?Where binds the night her tresses,When sleep is nigh, when sleep is nigh!Is Fashion’s bleak cold mountainHer bosom’s throne, her bosom’s throne?Or love’s green vale and fountain,With one alone, with one alone?

Why ask! why seek a treasureLike her I sing, like her I sing?Her name nor pain nor pleasureTo me should bring, to me should bring.Love must not grieve or gladdenMy thoughts of snow, my thoughts of snow,Nor woman soothe or saddenMy path below, my path below.Before a worldlier altarI’ve knelt too long, I’ve knelt too long;And if my footsteps falter,’Tis but in song, ’tis but in song.

Nor would I break the visionYoung fancies frame, young fancies frame,That lights with stars ElysianA poet’s name, a poet’s name.For she whose gentle spiritSuch dreams sublime, such dreams sublime,Gives hues they do not meritTo sons of rhyme, to sons of rhyme,But place the proudest near her,Whate’er their pen, whate’er their pen,She’ll say (be mute who hear her)Mere mortal men, mere mortal men!

Yet though unseen, unseeing,We meet and part, we meet and part,Be still my worshipped being,In mind and heart, in mind and heart.And bid thy song that found me,My minstrel-maid, my minstrel-maid!Be winter’s sunbeam round me,And summer’s shade, and summer’s shade.I could not gaze upon thee,And dare thy spell, and dare thy spell,And when a happier won thee,Thus bid farewell, thus bid farewell.