Nature's Lullaby. - A Mountain Nocturne

In forest shade my couch is made.         And there I calmly lie,     With thought confined in pensive mind,         And contemplate the sky;     I wonder if the frowning cliff,         The valley and the wood,     Or rugged freaks of mountain peaks,         Enjoy their solitude.     The heavens hold a sphere of gold,         A full and placid moon,     Suspended high, in cloudless sky,         With constellations strewn;     Its mellow beam, on rill and stream,         In silvery sheen I see;     Before its light, the shades of night         As evil spirits, flee.     In space afar, a shooting star,         With swift, uncertain course,     In dazzling sparks its passage marks,         As it expends its force;     The mountains bare reflect its glare         Of weird, unearthly light,     And e'en the skies, in glad surprise,         Behold its gorgeous flight.     The spruce and pine, at timber-line,         In straggling patches strewn,     Surcharge the breeze with melodies,         The forests' plaintive tune;     As they descend, the waters blend         In babbling harmony,     And soothe to rest my tranquil breast,         With Nature's lullaby.