_Centuries have fled away Since the hero came that day To the little beechwood gray Where young Hylas was at play; But I shall, as poets may, Wreathe these roses for his head, For his beauty is not dead. And a voice has sung to me Like a memory of the sea, Sung this ancient threnody, Like an autumn melody: "Alas! Alas! for thee, Hylas, Alas!"_
When the springtime came again And the shepherd to his spen Led his cloudy flock again, When the awkward lambkins bounded While the twin pipes whistling sounded, And old Charon from his glen Saw below the smoke of men Curling thinly from the trees, Then the heroes sought the seas. Then the Argo left the shore, For each eager warrior thought, When the Pleiads rose once more, Of the golden fleece he sought.
Hylas went with Heracles, Dancing to the dancing seas, And he stood high in the bow, Golden by the carven prow, Or he lay within the furls With the sea damp on his curls. But at home his mother wept With her hair upon the floor, By the hearth where he had slept, For her woman's heart was sore, Saying, "He is gone from me! Gone across the sounding sea! Ai! Ai! Woe is me! Alas! Alas! for thee, Hylas, Alas!"
With the soft, south wind to follow All the day the sail was hollow, While the marvelous Orpheus sang, Till the water furrows rang-- Never man sang as he sang-- Never man has sung the same-- And the ship flew till they came Where the olive trees are gaunt By the winding Hellespont, And the Cian oxen wear Water-bright the bronze plowshare.
On a fallow meadow hollow, Where the Cian cattle wallow, There they landed two by two; They the grass and rushes strew For their bed, Leaves and pointed flag stocks callow, Foot and head. And the evening coming on, Heracles and Telamon Set the supper fires upleaping And the shadows swooping, sweeping Overhead. Meanwhile, Hylas with a vase Wandered inland through the haze, Hoping there to fill his bronze, Girt about with goat-foot fauns, Polished. And around and twice around it, Where an inwrought girdle bound it, Fled the rout of chaste Diana, Goddess led.
Inland in a cup-shaped vale Willow swart and galingale Grew with swallowwort and sparsely Maidenhair and blooming parsley, And the shallow's level glass Mirrored back the yellow grass Where the swallow dipped his wings, Making rings on rings in rings. There a nymph dance was afoot Where the country people put Cloth and oaten cakes and bread For the water spirits dread-- Two and two and in and out, Three and two, around about, Hands around and then they vanished, Leaving Hylas there astonished.