A love-song died on my heart in a dream That I dreamed in the long ago, But an echo of that sweet song would seem Thro' my being ever to flow. I never can catch the words or the tune, Though often and often I try, The syllables fail, like an ancient rune, The melody breaks in a sigh. And sometimes I pause when I hear the note Of a bird, or the laugh of a child; Then into my spirit there seems to float A part of the song that beguiled. The winds in the pines have an echo sweet Of the memory deep and strong, And even the voices up from the street Have sounds like my beautiful song. But the chords will break and the words will fail, For my thought has a thousand wings; And in place of my song I hear the wail The lost to my memory brings. I know that I never shall hear my song, All sung as it was long ago, Till the shadows of life are dark and long, And my footsteps gentle and slow. When the sounds of the strife grow faint and far— And the thought of the storm, between The rise of the glorious morning star And the setting that is not seen, Have faded all from my spirit away, While sorrow and pain will but seem, The song that died on my heart that day Will return and restore my dream. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE GARDEN OF LOVE, FR. SONGS OF EXPERIENCE by WILLIAM BLAKE THE FIRE OF DRIFTWOOD; DEVEREUX FARM, NEAR MARBLEHEAD by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW THE RUBAIYAT, 1879 EDITION: 27 by OMAR KHAYYAM THE PRAIRIE-GRASS DIVIDING by WALT WHITMAN OUR MODEST DOUGHBOYS by CHARLTON ANDREWS THE GARLAND OF SLEEP by AUGUSTE ANGELLIER |