By the dim sea-shore Lonely I sat, and thought-afflicted. The sun sank low, and sinking he shed Rose and vermilion upon the waters, And the white foaming waves, Urged on by the tide, Foamed and murmured yet nearer and nearer-- A curious jumble of whispering and wailing, A soft rippling laughter and sobbing and sighing, And in between all a low lullaby singing. Methought I heard ancient forgotten legends, The world-old sweet stories, Which once, as a boy, I heard from my playmates, When, of a summer's evening, We crouched down to tell stories On the stones of the doorstep, With small listening hearts, And bright curious eyes; While the big grown-up girls Were sitting opposite At flowery and fragrant windows, Their rosy faces Smiling and moonshine-illumined. * * * * * HAIL TO THE SEA[37] (1825-26) Thalatta! Thalatta! Hail to thee, thou eternal sea! Hail to thee, ten thousand times, hail! With rejoicing heart I bid thee welcome, As once, long ago, did welcome thee Ten thousand Greek hearts-- Hardship-battling, homesick-yearning, World-renowned Greek hearts. The billows surged, They foamed and murmured, The sun poured down, as in haste, Flickering ripples of rosy light; Long strings of frightened sea-gulls Flutter away shrill screaming; War-horses trample, and shields clash loudly, And far resounds the triumphant cry: Thalatta! Thalatta! Hail to thee, thou eternal sea! Like accents of home thy waters are whispering, And dreams of childhood lustrous I see Through thy limpid and crystalline wave, Calling to mind the dear old memories Of dear and delightful toys, Of all the glittering Christmas presents, Of all the red-branched forests of coral, The pearls, the goldfish and bright-colored shells, Which thou dost hide mysteriously Deep down in thy clear house of crystal. Oh, how have I languished in dreary exile! Like unto a withered flower In the botanist's capsule of tin, My heart lay dead in my breast. Methought I was prisoned a long sad winter, A sick man kept in a darkened chamber; And now I suddenly leave it, And outside meets me the dazzling Spring, Tenderly verdant and sun-awakened; And rustling trees shed snowy petals, And tender young flowers gaze on me With their bright fragrant eyes, And the air is full of laughter and gladness, And rich with the breath of blossoms, And in the blue sky the birds are singing-- Thalatta! Thalatta!