A LOVE RHAPSODY.
If this be true, the fond Athenian's[1] dream,
That here the soul still mourns its better part,
And yearning seeks each visionary gleam,
Till dawns the true Aurora of the heart;
Then am I blessed—for I have found thee,
And my love has bound thee,
And thou and I are one!
That here the soul still mourns its better part,
And yearning seeks each visionary gleam,
Till dawns the true Aurora of the heart;
Then am I blessed—for I have found thee,
And my love has bound thee,
And thou and I are one!
As o'er the waters of the troubled deep,
God's Spirit moved, and the dark chaos woke,
And, starting from the depths of pregnant sleep,
Creation's myriad forms their silence broke,—
With songs of joy, from hopeless loveless Night
I, too, have woke to light
Since thou and I are one!
God's Spirit moved, and the dark chaos woke,
And, starting from the depths of pregnant sleep,
Creation's myriad forms their silence broke,—
With songs of joy, from hopeless loveless Night
I, too, have woke to light
Since thou and I are one!
But a yet closer union waits us still—
From this sweet Eden of the heart, strong Death
May banish us by his victorious will,
But not for aye—with Life's last sobbing breath
Our spirits shall unite—twin mortals here,
In heaven one angel fair,—
For thou and I are one!
From this sweet Eden of the heart, strong Death
May banish us by his victorious will,
But not for aye—with Life's last sobbing breath
Our spirits shall unite—twin mortals here,
In heaven one angel fair,—
For thou and I are one!
'Tis true, those angels on God's missions sent,
Whose grand and sexless beauty awes the soul,
Were severed lovers once, till love had blent
Their beings into one harmonious whole;
Thus, when earth fades, from this weak swimming brain,
And I have loosed my chain,
Shall thou and I be one!
Whose grand and sexless beauty awes the soul,
Were severed lovers once, till love had blent
Their beings into one harmonious whole;
Thus, when earth fades, from this weak swimming brain,
And I have loosed my chain,
Shall thou and I be one!
Thou hast an angel's gentle strength—thy mien
Wears grave and angel calm no storms can move;
I, all unworthy and unmeet, I ween,
But I,—I have an angel's power of love,
And this redeems, and thus my part I claim,
In that fair glorious name,
And thou and I are one!
Wears grave and angel calm no storms can move;
I, all unworthy and unmeet, I ween,
But I,—I have an angel's power of love,
And this redeems, and thus my part I claim,
In that fair glorious name,
And thou and I are one!
On what bright healing message we shall speed,
Whether to feed with dew youth's opening bloom,
Or bind with softest balm the hearts that bleed,
Broken and crushed in earth's yet mourning home;
Whether to wait, or do our Father's will,
I know not, but that still,
Shall thou and I be one!
Whether to feed with dew youth's opening bloom,
Or bind with softest balm the hearts that bleed,
Broken and crushed in earth's yet mourning home;
Whether to wait, or do our Father's will,
I know not, but that still,
Shall thou and I be one!
Whether with mighty pinions we shall soar
To bear glad tidings to the farthest star,
United we shall serve, united pour
One hymn of praise before God's flaming car.
Ah me! the raptured vision is too bright
And fair for mortal sight,
Till thou and I are one!
To bear glad tidings to the farthest star,
United we shall serve, united pour
One hymn of praise before God's flaming car.
Ah me! the raptured vision is too bright
And fair for mortal sight,
Till thou and I are one!
Whether with those, who duteous stand and wait,
And wave their verdant palms before His throne,
We there shall bend before the jasper gate
And lay before God's feet one golden crown,—
I only know that then this heart of mine
Shall beat, beloved, in thine,
And thou and I be one!
And wave their verdant palms before His throne,
We there shall bend before the jasper gate
And lay before God's feet one golden crown,—
I only know that then this heart of mine
Shall beat, beloved, in thine,
And thou and I be one!
It was a wondrous legend that which told,
That after bitter griefs the soul and love,
The Psyche and the Eros, should enfold
In one their truant wings—but far above
E'en that dear joy to know that, parted here,
We shall 'as seraphs there
Eternally be one!
That after bitter griefs the soul and love,
The Psyche and the Eros, should enfold
In one their truant wings—but far above
E'en that dear joy to know that, parted here,
We shall 'as seraphs there
Eternally be one!
Rome, 1852.
- ↑ Referring to the Platonic idea of the soul being divided on earth, and love being the intense desire of the two portions to amalgamate again. This union forming the perfect soul is probably in one angelic form.