| |
| ONCE in the wind of morning | |
| I ranged the thymy wold; | |
| The world-wide air was azure | |
| And all the brooks ran gold. | |
| |
| There through the dews beside me | 5 |
| Behold a youth that trod, | |
| With feathered cap on forehead, | |
| And poised a golden rod. | |
| |
| With mien to match the morning | |
| And gay delightful guise | 10 |
| And friendly brows and laughter | |
| He looked me in the eyes. | |
| |
| Oh whence, I asked, and whither? | |
| He smiled and would not say, | |
| And looked at me and beckoned | 15 |
| And laughed and led the way. | |
| |
| And with kind looks and laughter | |
| And nought to say beside | |
| We two went on together, | |
| I and my happy guide. | 20 |
| |
| Across the glittering pastures | |
| And empty upland still | |
| And solitude of shepherds | |
| High in the folded hill, | |
| |
| By hanging woods and hamlets | 25 |
| That gaze through orchards down | |
| On many a windmill turning | |
| And far-discovered town, | |
| |
| With gay regards of promise | |
| And sure unslackened stride | 30 |
| And smiles and nothing spoken | |
| Led on my merry guide. | |
| |
| By blowing realms of woodland | |
| With sunstruck vanes afield | |
| And cloud-led shadows sailing | 35 |
| About the windy weald, | |
| |
| By valley-guarded granges | |
| And silver waters wide, | |
| Content at heart I followed | |
| With my delightful guide. | 40 |
| |
| And like the cloudy shadows | |
| Across the country blown | |
| We two fare on for ever, | |
| But not we two alone. | |
| |
| With the great gale we journey | 45 |
| That breathes from gardens thinned, | |
| Borne in the drift of blossoms | |
| Whose petals throng the wind; | |
| |
| Buoyed on the heaven-heard whisper | |
| Of dancing leaflets whirled | 50 |
| From all the woods that autumn | |
| Bereaves in all the world. | |
| |
| And midst the fluttering legion | |
| Of all the ever died | |
| I follow, and before us | 55 |
| Goes the delightful guide, | |
| |
| With lips that brim with laughter | |
| But never once respond, | |
| And feet that fly on feathers, | |
| And serpent-circled wand. | 60 |
| |
