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| COME away, come away from the straightness of the road; | |
| I will lead you into delicate recesses | |
| Where peals of ripples ring through the maidenhair’s abode | |
| In the heart of little water wildernesses. | |
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| I will show you pleasant places; tawny hills the sun has kissed, | 5 |
| Where the giant trees the wind is always swinging | |
| Rise from clouds of pearly saplings tipped with rose and amethyst,— | |
| Fairy boughs where fairy butterflies are clinging. | |
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| Come away from the road; I will lead through shade and sheen, | |
| Changing brightly as the year of colour passes | 10 |
| Through each tint the opal knows, from the flaming winter green | |
| To the summer gold and silver of the grasses. | |
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| Here is riot of leaf and blossom, ferny mosses in the glade | |
| Pressing round the wattle’s stem of dappled splendour; | |
| Even the pathway that you tread smiles with daisies unafraid,— | 15 |
| Laden branches lean to breathe a welcome tender. | |
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| Come away from the road; let wild petals cool your eyes | |
| Dim and hardened with the arid light of duty; | |
| Lose awhile your weary purpose, leave the highway of the wise | |
| For the little reckless of joy and beauty. | 20 |
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| I am fairer still to follow where the Bush is lonelier grown | |
| And the purple vines fling tendrils out to bind me; | |
| For the secret of my lure is the call of the Unknown, | |
| Hidden Loveliness that laughs: ‘Come and find me!’ | |
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| Follow on, ah, come with me! Though the way is fainter shown | 25 |
| Where the restless waves of green have splashed and crossed me; | |
| In the temple of the trees you have met delight alone; | |
| Winning happiness, what matter though you lost me? | |
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| In this dreamy fane of sunshine, where wood-violets are rife, | |
| Though I leave you,—path and bracken surges blended,— | 30 |
| Would you say I led you vainly? I have sung the joy of life, | |
| I have set you in the way; my song is ended. | |
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