A ROMANCE OF THE GANGES.

I.

SEVEN maidens 'neath the midnight
Stand near the river-sea

Whose water sweepeth white around
The shadow of the tree;

The moon and earth are face to face,
And earth is slumbering deep;

The wave-voice seems the voice of dreams
That wander through her sleep:

The river floweth on.

II.

What bring they 'neath the midnight,

Beside the river-sea?

They bring the human heart wherein

No nightly calm can be,

That droppeth never with the wind,

Nor drieth with the dew:

Oh, calm it God! thy caim is broad

To cover spirits too.

The river floweth on.

II.

The maidens lean them over

The waters, side by side,

And shun each other's deepening eyes,

And gaze adown the tide;

For each within a little boat

A little lamp hath put,

And heaped for freight some lily's weight

Or scarlet rose half shut.

The river floweth on.

IV.

Of shell of cocoa carven

Each little boat is made;

Each carries a lamp, and carries a flower, And carries a hope unsaid;

And when the boat hath carried the lamp Unquenched till out of sight,

The maiden is sure that love will endure; But love will fail with light.

The river floweth on.

V.

Why, all the stars are ready
To symbolize the soul,

The stars untroubled by the wind,
Unwearied as they roll;

And yet the soul by instinct sad

Reverts to symbols low

To that small flame, whose very name

Breathed o'er it, shakes it so !

The river floweth on.

VI.

Six boats are on the river,

Seven maidens on the shore,
While still above them steadfastly
The stars shine evermore.

Go, little boats, go soft and safe,
And guard the symbol spark!

The boats aright go safe and bright
Across the waters dark.

The river floweth on.

VII.

The maiden Luti watcheth

Where onwardly they float:
That look in her dilating eyes
Might seem to drive her boat:
Her eyes still mark the constant fire,

And kindling unawares

That hopeful while, she lets a smile

Creep silent through her prayers.

The river floweth on.

VIII.

The smile-where hath it wandered?

She riseth from her knee,

She holds her dark, wet locks away-
There is no light to see!

She cries a quick and bitter cry

'Nuleeni, launch me thine!

We must have light abroad to-night,

For all the wreck of mine.'

The river floweth on.

IX.

'I do remember watching

Beside this river-bed

When on my childish knee was leaned

My dying father's head;

I turned mine own to keep the tears
From falling on his face :

What doth it prove when Death and Love

Choose out the self-same place?'

The river floweth on.

X,

They say the dead are joyful

The death-change here receiving:
Who say-ah, me! who dare to say
Where joy comes to the living?
Thy boat, Nuleeni! look not sad—
Light up the waters rather!
I weep no faithless lover where

I wept a loving father.'

The river floweth on.

And though I closed mine eyes to dream

That one last dream of him,

They shall not now be wet to see

The shining vision go:

From earth's cold love I look above

To the holy house of snow.'

The river floweth on.

XII.

'Come thou-thou never knewest

A grief, that thou shouldst fear one!
Thou wearest still the happy look
That shines beneath a dear one:

Thy humming-bird is in the sun,†
Thy cuckoo in the grove,

And all the three broad worlds, for thee

Are full of wandering love.'

XIII.

The river floweth on.

'Why, maiden, dost thou loiter?

What secret wouldst thou cover?

*The Hindoo heaven is localized on the summit of Mount Meru —one of the mountains of Himalaya or Himmaleh, which signifies, I believe, in Sanscrit, the abode of snow, winter, or coldness.

✦ Himadeva, the Indian god of love, is imagined to wander through the three worlds, accompanied by the humming-bird, cuckoo, and gentle breezes.