Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme
What legend haunt about thy shape
Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard, are sweeter
Therefore, ye soft pipes, play on
Not to the sensual ear, but more endeared
Pipe to the spirit deities of tone
Fair youth beneath the trees, thou cannot leave
He had reached the island which lay afar
He climbs to shore
Finds a bed of olive bushes
Putting leaves over himself
He falls asleep
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare
Bold lover, never grieve
We cannot fade
For ever wilt thou love, and be fair
Your leaves never bid the spring adieu
Happy melodist unwearied
Piping songs forever new
Then forth from the violent sea he came to land
And went his way until he came to a great cave
Wherein dwelt the dark-tressed nymph
And he found her within
A great fire was burning on the hearth
And from afar over the isle there was a fragrance of cleft cedar and juniper
As they burned; but she within was singing with a sweet voice
And right there about the hollow cave ran trailing a garden vine
In pride of its prime, richly laden with clusters
And fountains four in a row were flowing with bright water hard by one another
Turned one this way, one that
And round about soft meadows of violets and parsley were blooming
More happy love!
He climbs to shore
Finds a bed of olive bushes
Putting leaves over himself
He falls asleep
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare
Bold lover, never grieve
We cannot fade
For ever wilt thou love, and be fair
Your leaves never bid the spring adieu
Happy melodist unwearied
Piping songs forever new
Then forth from the violent sea he came to land
And went his way until he came to a great cave
Wherein dwelt the dark-tressed nymph
And he found her within
A great fire was burning on the hearth
And from afar over the isle there was a fragrance of cleft cedar and juniper
As they burned; but she within was singing with a sweet voice
And right there about the hollow cave ran trailing a garden vine
In pride of its prime, richly laden with clusters
And fountains four in a row were flowing with bright water hard by one another
Turned one this way, one that
And round about soft meadows of violets and parsley were blooming
More happy love!
More happy, happy love!
Forever warm and still to be enjoyed
Forever panting, and forever young
Who whispers to him so pantingly and close?
His sweet sister of all those lives
His friend, the dearest
Hushing signs she made
And breathed a sister's sorrow to persuade
A yielding up, a cradling on her care
Her eloquence did breathe away the curse
She led him, like some midnight spirit nurse
Of happy changes in emphatic dreams
Forever warm and still to be enjoyed
Forever panting, and forever young
Who whispers to him so pantingly and close?
His sweet sister of all those lives
His friend, the dearest
Hushing signs she made
And breathed a sister's sorrow to persuade
A yielding up, a cradling on her care
Her eloquence did breathe away the curse
She led him, like some midnight spirit nurse
Of happy changes in emphatic dreams
