Sonnets from the Portuguese: XXVI

I lived with visions for my companyInstead of men and women, years ago,And found them gentle mates, nor thought to knowA sweeter music than they played to me.But soon their trailing purple was not freeOf this world's dust, their lutes did silent grow,And I myself grew faint and blind belowTheir vanishing eyes. Then thou didst come-to be,Belovèd, what they seemed. Their shining fronts,Their songs, their splendours, (better, yet the same,As river-water hallowed into fonts)Met in thee, and from out thee overcameMy soul with satisfaction of all wants:Because God's gifts put man's best dreams to shame.