From Monte Pincio

Evening is coming, the sun waxes red,     Radiant colors from heaven are beaming     Life's lustrous longings in infinite streaming; -     Glory in death o'er the mountains is spread.     Cupolas burn, but the fog in far masses     Over the bluish-black fields softly passes,     Rolling as whilom oblivion pale;     Hid is yon valley 'neath thousand years' veil.         Evening so red and warm         Glows as the people swarm,         Notes of the cornet flare,         Flowers and brown eyes fair.     Great men of old stand in marble erected,     Waiting, scarce known and neglected.     Vespers are ringing, through roseate air     Nebulous floating of tone-sacrifices,     Twilight in churches now broadens and rises,     Incense and word fill the evening with prayer.     Over the Sabines the flame-belt is knotted,     Shepherds' lights through the Campagna are dotted,     Rome with her lamps dimly breaks on the sight, -     Shadowy legend from history's night.         But to the evening's spell         Dances the Saltarell'; -         Fireworks flash and play,         Mora and laughter gay; -     Colors and tones in all thoughts are enthroning     Harmony's gracious condoning.     Lost has the light in its soundless affray,     Heaven its vaulting of dark-blue is framing,     Where from infinity deep stars are flaming,     Earth's masses sink into vapor away.     Fleeing the darkness, the eyes seek the city,     Meet with its torches a corpse borne in pity;     These seek the night, but a flag is each light,     Waving the hope of eternity bright.         Gaily to dance and wine         Mandolins give the sign.         Monkish song, noise of streets,         Drowned by a drum's stern beats; -     Through all the dreaming life's arteries flowing,     Glimpses of daylight are going.     Silence o'er all, and the darker blue sky     Watches serenely expectant, 'mid cheering     Dreams of the past and the future that's nearing: -     Fluctuant gleams in the gray that is nigh.     But they will gather, and Rome be resurgent,     Day-dawn from Italy's midnight emergent:     Cannon shall sound and the bells ring the new,     Mem'ries illumine the future's bright blue! -         Greeting a bridal pair         Charming in hope so rare,         Voices bring soft salute,         Music of harp and flute.     Mightier yearnings sweet sleep is beguiling; -     Lesser dare waken to smiling.