Low down the east the morn's ambrosial meads Sank in soft splendors. Sphering out below, Gilded in morning, anchored the patient earth, Mountain and valley, ocean and wide plain, Opening to dawn's young footsteps where we wheeled, And blossomed wide the rosebud of the day. Glory was mine, but greater, sense of power, Nor marred by fear, as loftier we climbed, With glinting hoofs, that clanged the azure bridge That arched from dawning up to flaming noon. Dauntless my soul, and fiery-glad my heart, And "vastness," "vastness," sang through all my being, As gloved with adamant I guided on The day's red coursers up their flaming hill, To reach the mighty keystone of the day.
All things conspired to build my upward road: The fitful winds of morning, the soft clouds, That fleece-like swept my cheek, the azure glint Of ocean swaying, restless, on his rim, Where slept the continents like a serpent curled In sleep, leviathan, huge, about the world.
Then sudden all my waking turned to dream, A madness wherein, hideous, all things hung. Thought fled confused, and awful apprehension Shadowed my spirit, power and reason fled; And, maddening, day's red coursers thundered on, Uncurbed, unguided by my palsied hand. Then with loud ruin, blundering from the bridge, Through space went swaying, now high up, now down, Scattering conflagration and fierce death O'er earth's shrunk verges where their scorchings scarred.
Time fled in terror, forests shrivelled up, Ocean drew back in shudderings to his caves, Huge mountains shook and rumbled to their base, Great streams dried up, old cities smoked and fell, And all life met confusion and despair, And dread annihilation. Then the Gods, Pitying wrecked nature, in their sudden vengeance, Me, impious, hurled from out my dizzying height. Time vanished, reason swooned, then left her throne, And darkness wrapt me as I shuddering fell, Oblivion-clouded, to the plunging seas. Ocean received me, folding in her deeps, Cooling and emerald. Here in coral dreams I rest and cure me, never wholly waking, Filled with one splendor, fumbling in a dream, As waves do fumble all about a cave, For one clear memory of that one high day.
I failed, was mortal; where I climbed I fell. But all else little matters; life was mine, I dreamed, I dared, I grappled with, I fell; And here I live it over in my dreams. All things may pass, decline, and come to naught, Death 'whelm life as day engulfed in dark, But I have greatly lived, have greatly dared, And death will never wholly wrap me round And black me in its terrors. I am made One with the future, dwelling in the dreams And memories dread of envious gods and men.