Music—when soft voices fade
Vibrates in the memory
I sighed for you
Lingering like an unloved guest
And noon—lay heavy on flower and tree
When I arose and saw the dawn
I sighed for you
The sweet child. Sleep—the filmy eyed
Murmured like a noontime bee
Lost echo—sits amid the vociferous mountains
Afar, the melancholy thunder moaned
Pale ocean, in unquiet slumber lay
And the wild winds flew around
Sobbing their dismay
She rose like an autumnal night that springs
Out of her secret paradise, she sped
As silent lightning leaves the starless night
And all of the dreams watched her eyes
And all of the echoes sang their sister’s song
Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought
With veiled eyes
And listening echoes
In her paradise
She sat while one with soft enamored breath
Rekindled all the fading memories
My spirit’s sister
The lone nightingale
Grief had made the young spring wild
And she threw down her love
As if she were autumn
Music—when soft voices fade Vibrates in the memory I sighed for you Lingering like an unloved guest And noon—lay heavy on flower and tree When I arose and saw the dawn I sighed for you
The sweet child. Sleep—the filmy eyed Murmured like a noontime bee Lost echo—sits amid the vociferous mountains Afar, the melancholy thunder moaned Pale ocean, in unquiet slumber lay And the wild winds flew around Sobbing their dismay
She rose like an autumnal night that springs Out of her secret paradise, she sped As silent lightning leaves the starless night And all of the dreams watched her eyes And all of the echoes sang their sister’s song Our sweetest songs are those that tell of saddest thought With veiled eyes And listening echoes In her paradise She sat while one with soft enamored breath Rekindled all the fading memories
My spirit’s sister The lone nightingale Grief had made the young spring wild And she threw down her love As if she were autumn
Percy Bysshe Shelley [paraphrased]