Look not too deep in my heart,
My beloved; nay, lean not too near
From the shores of thy peace, lest thou start
From the midst of thy sweet thoughts to hear
The sound of waters of pain,
Blindly knocking and thronging,
The waters of heavy longing,
That deep in my heart has lain.
Sleeplessly circle the waves
Far under, and dumbly resound
In throats of the sea--filled caves,
Where daylight wholly is drowned,
Where frail fair shells are scattered
And broken in random foam,
With weeds that have found no home,
And drift--wood of ships long shattered.
But I would, my belov'd, that for thee,
Who bring'st me a sky all blue,
My spirit were stilled as a sea
That the fires of the noon warm through,
When the waves have forgotten their sighs
And from shore unto shore are at rest,
As my whole soul bathes and is blest
In the peace of thy beautiful eyes.
