Lines Written In The Bay Of Lerici.

She left me at the silent time     When the moon had ceased to climb     The azure path of Heaven's steep,     And like an albatross asleep,     Balanced on her wings of light,     Hovered in the purple night,     Ere she sought her ocean nest     In the chambers of the West.     She left me, and I stayed alone     Thinking over every tone     Which, though silent to the ear,     The enchanted heart could hear,     Like notes which die when born, but still     Haunt the echoes of the hill;     And feeling ever - oh, too much! -     The soft vibration of her touch,     As if her gentle hand, even now,     Lightly trembled on my brow;     And thus, although she absent were,     Memory gave me all of her     That even Fancy dares to claim: -     Her presence had made weak and tame     All passions, and I lived alone     In the time which is our own;     The past and future were forgot,     As they had been, and would be, not.     But soon, the guardian angel gone,     The daemon reassumed his throne     In my faint heart. I dare not speak     My thoughts, but thus disturbed and weak     I sat and saw the vessels glide     Over the ocean bright and wide,     Like spirit-winged chariots sent     O'er some serenest element     For ministrations strange and far;     As if to some Elysian star     Sailed for drink to medicine     Such sweet and bitter pain as mine.     And the wind that winged their flight     From the land came fresh and light,     And the scent of winged flowers,     And the coolness of the hours     Of dew, and sweet warmth left by day,     Were scattered o'er the twinkling bay.     And the fisher with his lamp     And spear about the low rocks damp     Crept, and struck the fish which came     To worship the delusive flame.     Too happy they, whose pleasure sought     Extinguishes all sense and thought     Of the regret that pleasure leaves,     Destroying life alone, not peace!