1 OUT of the cradle endlessly rocking (Links to an external site.), |
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Out of the mocking-bird†s throat, the musical shuttle (Links to an external site.), |
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| Out of the Ninth-month midnight, |
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Over the sterile sands, and the fields beyond, where the child, leaving his bed, wander†d alone, bare-headed, barefoot, |
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Down from the shower†d halo, |
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| Up from the mystic play of shadows, twining and twisting as if they were alive, |
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| Out from the patches of briers and blackberries, |
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| From the memories of the bird that chanted to me, |
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| From your memories, sad brother—from the fitful risings and fallings I heard, |
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| From under that yellow half-moon, late-risen, and swollen as if with tears, |
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| From those beginning notes of sickness and love, there in the transparent mist, |
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| From the thousand responses of my heart, never to cease, |
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From the myriad thence-arous†d words, |
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| From the word stronger and more delicious than any, |
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| From such, as now they start, the scene revisiting, |
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| As a flock, twittering, rising, or overhead passing, |
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| Borne hither—ere all eludes me, hurriedly, |
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| A man—yet by these tears a little boy again, |
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| Throwing myself on the sand, confronting the waves, |
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| I, chanter of pains and joys, uniter of here and hereafter, |
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| Taking all hints to use them—but swiftly leaping beyond them, |
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| A reminiscence sing. |
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2 Once, Paumanok, |
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| When the snows had melted—when the lilac-scent was in the air (Links to an external site.), and the Fifth-month grass was growing, |
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| Up this sea-shore, in some briers, |
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| Two guests from Alabama—two together, |
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| And their nest, and four light-green eggs, spotted with brown, |
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| And every day the he-bird, to and fro, near at hand, |
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And every day the she-bird, crouch†d on her nest, silent, with bright eyes, |
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| And every day I, a curious boy, never too close, never disturbing them, |
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| Cautiously peering, absorbing, translating. |
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3 Shine! shine! shine! |
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| Pour down your warmth, great Sun! |
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| While we bask—we two together. |
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| Two together! |
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| Winds blow South, or winds blow North, |
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| Day come white, or night come black, |
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| Home, or rivers and mountains from home, |
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| Singing all time, minding no time, |
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| While we two keep together (Links to an external site.). |
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4 Till of a sudden, |
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May-be kill†d, unknown to her mate, |
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One forenoon the she-bird crouch†d not on the nest, |
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Nor return†d that afternoon, nor the next, |
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Nor ever appear†d again. |
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| And thenceforward, all summer, in the sound of the sea, |
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| And at night, under the full of the moon, in calmer weather, |
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| Over the hoarse surging of the sea, |
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| Or flitting from brier to brier by day, |
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| I saw, I heard at intervals, the remaining one, the he-bird, |
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| The solitary guest from Alabama. |
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5 Blow! blow! blow! |
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Blow up, sea-winds, along Paumanok†s shore! |
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| I wait and I wait, till you blow my mate to me. |
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6 Yes, when the stars glisten†d, |
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All night long, on the prong of a moss-scallop†d stake, |
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| Down, almost amid the slapping waves, |
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| Sat the lone singer, wonderful, causing tears. |
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He call†d on his mate; |
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He pour†d forth the meanings which I, of all men, know. |
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| Yes, my brother, I know; |
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The rest might not—but I have treasur†d every note; |
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| For once, and more than once, dimly, down to the beach gliding, |
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| Silent, avoiding the moonbeams, blending myself with the shadows, |
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| Recalling now the obscure shapes, the echoes, the sounds and sights after their sorts, |
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| The white arms out in the breakers tirelessly tossing, |
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| I, with bare feet, a child, the wind wafting my hair, |
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Listen†d long and long. |
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Listen†d, to keep, to sing—now translating the notes, |
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| Following you, my brother. |
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7 Soothe! soothe! soothe! |
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| Close on its wave soothes the wave behind, |
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| And again another behind, embracing and lapping, every one close, |
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| But my love soothes not me, not me. |
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| Low hangs the moon—it rose late; |
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| O it is lagging—O I think it is heavy with love, with love. |
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| O madly the sea pushes, pushes upon the land, |
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| With love—with love. |
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| O night! do I not see my love fluttering out there among the breakers? |
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| What is that little black thing I see there in the white? |
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| Loud! loud! loud! |
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| Loud I call to you, my love! |
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| High and clear I shoot my voice over the waves; |
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| Surely you must know who is here, is here; |
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| You must know who I am, my love. |
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| Low-hanging moon! |
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| What is that dusky spot in your brown yellow? |
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| O it is the shape, the shape of my mate! |
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| O moon, do not keep her from me any longer. |
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| Land! land! O land! |
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| Whichever way I turn, O I think you could give me my mate back again, if you only would; |
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| For I am almost sure I see her dimly whichever way I look. |
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| O rising stars! |
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| Perhaps the one I want so much will rise, will rise with some of you. |
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| O throat! O trembling throat (Links to an external site.)! |
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| Sound clearer through the atmosphere! |
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| Pierce the woods, the earth; |
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| Somewhere listening to catch you, must be the one I want. |
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| Shake out, carols! |
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Solitary here—the night†s carols! |
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Carols of lonesome love! Death†s carols! |
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| Carols under that lagging, yellow, waning moon! |
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| O, under that moon, where she droops almost down into the sea! |
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| O reckless, despairing carols. |
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| But soft! sink low; |
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| Soft! let me just murmur; |
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| And do you wait a moment, you husky-noised sea; |
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| For somewhere I believe I heard my mate responding to me, |
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| So faint—I must be still, be still to listen; |
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| But not altogether still, for then she might not come immediately to me. |
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| Hither, my love! |
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| Here I am! Here! |
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With this just-sustain†d note I announce myself to you; |
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| This gentle call is for you, my love, for you. |
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Do not be decoy†d elsewhere! |
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| That is the whistle of the wind—it is not my voice; |
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| That is the fluttering, the fluttering of the spray; |
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| Those are the shadows of leaves. |
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| O darkness! O in vain! |
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| O I am very sick and sorrowful. |
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| O brown halo in the sky, near the moon, drooping upon the sea! |
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| O troubled reflection in the sea! |
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| O throat! O throbbing heart! |
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| O all—and I singing uselessly, uselessly all the night. |
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| Yet I murmur, murmur on (Links to an external site.)! |
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| O murmurs—you yourselves make me continue to sing, I know not why. |
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| O past! O life! O songs of joy (Links to an external site.)! |
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| In the air—in the woods—over fields; |
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| Loved! loved! loved! loved! loved! |
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| But my love no more, no more with me (Links to an external site.)! |
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| We two together no more. |
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8 The aria sinking; |
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| All else continuing—the stars shining, |
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| The winds blowing—the notes of the bird continuous echoing (Links to an external site.), |
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| With angry moans the fierce old mother incessantly moaning (Links to an external site.), |
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On the sands of Paumanok†s shore, gray and rustling; |
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| The yellow half-moon enlarged, sagging down, drooping, the face of the sea almost touching; |
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| The boy extatic—with his bare feet the waves, with his hair the atmosphere dallying, |
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| The love in the heart long pent, now loose, now at last tumultuously bursting, |
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The aria†s meaning, the ears, the Soul, swiftly depositing, |
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| The strange tears down the cheeks coursing, |
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| The colloquy there—the trio—each uttering, |
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| The undertone—the savage old mother, incessantly crying, |
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To the boy†s Soul†s questions sullenly timing—some drown†d secret hissing, |
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| To the outsetting bard of love. |
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9 Demon or (Links to an external site.) bird! (said the boy†s soul,) |
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| Is it indeed toward your mate you sing? or is it mostly to me? |
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For I, that was a child, my tongue†s use sleeping, |
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| Now I have heard you, |
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| Now in a moment I know what I am for—I awake, |
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| And already a thousand singers—a thousand songs, clearer, louder and more sorrowful than yours, |
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| A thousand warbling echoes have started to life within me, |
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| Never to die. |
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| O you singer, solitary (Links to an external site.), singing by yourself—projecting me; |
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| O solitary me, listening—nevermore shall I cease perpetuating you; |
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| Never more shall I escape, never more the reverberations, |
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| Never more the cries of unsatisfied love be absent from me, |
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| Never again leave me to be the peaceful child I was before what there, in the night, |
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| By the sea, under the yellow and sagging moon, |
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The messenger there arous†d (Links to an external site.)—the fire, the sweet hell within, |
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| The unknown want, the destiny of me. |
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| O give me the clew (Links to an external site.)! (it lurks in the night here somewhere;) |
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| O if I am to have so much, let me have more! |
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| O a word! O what is my destination? (I fear it is henceforth chaos;) |
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| O how joys, dreads, convolutions, human shapes, and all shapes, spring as from graves around me! |
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| O phantoms! you cover all the land and all the sea! |
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| O I cannot see in the dimness whether you smile or frown upon me; |
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| O vapor, a look, a word! O well-beloved! |
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O you dear women†s and men†s phantoms! |
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| A word then, (for I will conquer it,) |
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| The word final, superior to all, |
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| Subtle, sent up—what is it?—I listen; |
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| Are you whispering it, and have been all the time, you sea-waves? |
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| Is that it from your liquid rims and wet sands? |
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10 Whereto (Links to an external site.) answering, the sea, |
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| Delaying not, hurrying not, |
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Whisper†d me through the night, and very plainly before day-break, |
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Lisp†d to me (Links to an external site.) the low and delicious word DEATH; |
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| And again Death—ever Death, Death, Death, |
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Hissing melodious, neither like the bird, nor like my arous†d child†s heart, |
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| But edging near, as privately for me, rustling at my feet, |
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| Creeping thence steadily up to my ears, and laving me softly all over (Links to an external site.), |
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| Death, Death, Death, Death, Death. |
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| Which I do not forget, |
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| But fuse the song of my dusky demon and brother (Links to an external site.), |
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That he sang to me (Links to an external site.) in the moonlight on Paumanok†s gray beach, |
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| With the thousand responsive songs, at random, |
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| My own songs, awaked from that hour; |
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| And with them the key, the word up from the waves, |
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| The word of the sweetest song, and all songs, |
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| That strong and delicious word which, creeping to my feet, |
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The sea whisper†d me. |
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