Page:The complete poetical works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, including materials never before printed in any edition of the poems.djvu/398

v

A lovely lady garmented in light

From her own beauty—deep her eyes, as are
Two openings of unfathomable night
Seen through a Temple's^[1] cloven roof—her hair
Dark—the dim brain whirls dizzy with delight.85
Picturing her form; her soft smiles shone afar,
And her low voice was heard like love, and drew
All living things towards this wonder new.

vi

And first the spotted cameleopard came,

And then the wise and fearless elephant;90
Then the sly serpent, in the golden flame
Of his own volumes intervolved;—all gaunt
And sanguine beasts her gentle looks made tame.
They drank before her at her sacred fount;
And every beast of beating heart grew bold,95
Such gentleness and power even to behold.

vii

The brinded lioness led forth her young,

That she might teach them how they should forego
Their inborn thirst of death; the pard unstrung
His sinews at her feet, and sought to know100
With looks whose motions spoke without a tongue
How he might be as gentle as the doe.
The magic circle of her voice and eyes
All savage natures did imparadise.

viii

And old Silenus, shaking a green stick 105

Of lilies, and the wood-gods in a crew
Came, blithe, as in the olive copses thick
Cicadae are, drunk with the noonday dew:
And Dryope and Faunus followed quick,
Teasing the God to sing them something new;110
Till in this cave they found the lady lone,
Sitting upon a seat of emerald stone.

ix

And universal Pan, 'tis said, was there,

And though none saw him,—through the adamant
Of the deep mountains, through the trackless air,115
And through those living spirits, like a want,
He passed out of his everlasting lair
Where the quick heart of the great world doth pant,
And felt that wondrous lady all alone,—
And she felt him, upon her emerald throne.120

1. Temple's transcript, B.; tempest's ed. 1824.