VIII. She slept; but not the gentle sleep of rest, With load more heavy than the carved stone IX. Slept all unconscious that she thus was bound, Knew not the dreary darkness of her fate. "Ah me! Must one with such bright beauty crown'd "Lie ever thus enthralled in slumber's chain, "Nor wake to life and liberty again?" X. Then, as in answer to my cry, a voice "Fear not," it said, "she will arise and break "Her bonds, and from that charmed sleep shall wake; XI. "Once more a queen shall wear the emerald crown, "The loveliest mistress of the loveliest isle; "Be all she was before the fatal wile "Of beauty ruined her, and dragged her down "From that high 'pride of place,' her freedom gave, "And sank her 'neath dark sorrow's whelming wave. XII. "All that she was she once again shall be, "All and far more: shall waken ev'ry stain "That marred her gone-her loss become her gain— "Waken still purer in her purity: "E'en as a flower whose petals close at night "To ope the brighter at the morning's light." XIII. Thus with sweet words of hope those strange soft notes Died back into the silence whence they came, Back to that realm that none can know or name. Then lo! the mist of destiny, that floats Across the trackless waste of coming years Veiling our future smiles, our future tears, XIV. Seem'd to uplift its shroud of brooding gloom, See clearly, e'en as if 'twere face to face Oh joy! the fettered maid I see uprise, XV. Those glorious azure eyes, that seem'd to woo Not holding now in traitorous caress Her limbs, but in its freshest loveliness, XVI. Streamed rippling down her back, and in the wind Her cruel chains dropped from her, and all free In loveliness all pure, in beauty good. XVII. And from her parted lips there poured a song, XVIII. She sang of hope, of truth, of trust, of love, And ever through that wondrous melody There ran one sweet refrain "Free, once more free!" XIX. I strove to speak, to tell her all I fain Would tell. Ere words would come she fled my sight, And song and sweetness vanished into night. And now the cold air beating on my brain XX. That day had heard what all the days before XXI. Had ris'n from that most deadly life in Death, XXII. Not all a dream was that strange dream of mine; XXIII. Thou wert the maiden, Venice, that I saw, XXIV. The Ocean's child and once the Ocean's Queen, XXV. Great for thy constancy was thy reward; XXVI. And now once more thou risest into day XXVII. A nobler triumph in a holier strife Thou now may'st win than thou hast won before; Conquer thyself; let passion nevermore Stain the white radiance of thy future life: Let Venice joined with Italy proclaim One common brotherhood in Freedom's name. |