Sweetly it came, seductive, soft bizarre, Huddled and breathless now, now note by note Crying its separate pain ... now near, now far ... Mingled with all the throbbing of the boat. How beautiful! the first star came, to float Impalpable in dusk, low in the east; It seemed to sing on when the music ceased.
Herald of love, lo, love itself it seemed, Singing into the twilight of her soul.... How beautiful!... across dark waters gleamed Red lights and green, she heard a bell-buoy toll Suddenly caught in the after-wash’s roll; A smell of autumn fires came down the wind; Beauty so keen it seemed it must have sinned....
What was this night, what did it bring to her, What flower unfolded in its darkness now? She was this night; she felt her deep soul stir, The slow strange stir of blossoms in the bough.... How beautiful! She watched the forefoot plough Sheer through the foaming black, the white waves gliding Dizzily past, now swelling, now subsiding....
O Youth, O music, O sweet wizardry Of young life sung like fire through beating veins! O covering darkness and persuasive sea! O night of stars, of blisses and of pains! But most, O Youth, that but an hour remains,-- Be fierce, be sweet with us before you go; For, knowing you, the best of life we know.
Enchanted so she watched dark waters slipping Swiftly and dizzily past the sheer black side, Watched the fierce wind in sudden flurries whipping The torn spray from the waves, against the tide; High among stars she saw the mast-head glide,-- Steadily now, now swinging slowly, slightly, There the high mast-head lantern burning brightly....
O Youth, O music, O sweet wizardy,-- O covering darkness of mysterious night!-- She turned; along the dark deck, quietly, He came again; an open door shed light Strongly across him for a space, then fright Suddenly set her wild heart beating, beating,-- Suddenly set her endlessly repeating
“I mustn’t speak! I mustn’t speak!”--And then He stood beside her, close and warm and strong, And she knew sudden the beauty that’s in men, And all her blood flew musical with song.... “--Beautiful, isn’t it?--Have you known it long?”-- Calmly he looked at her, and gently spoke. She nodded, lightly; then the warm words broke