Poem by Madison Julius Cawein

The Water-Maid

There she rose as white as death,
Stars above and stars beneath;
Where the ripples brake in splendor
To a million, million starlets
Twinkling on lake-lilies tender,
Rocking to the ripple barlets.
She, brow-belted with white lilies,
Rose and oared a shining shoulder
To a downward-purpling boulder:
With slim fingers soft and milky,
Haled her from the spray-sprent lilies
To a ledge, and sitting silky
Sang unto the list'ning lilies,
Sang and sang beneath the heaven,
Belted, wreathed with lilies seven;
Falsely sang a wild, wild ditty
To a wool-white moon;
Till a child both frail and pretty
Found her singing on the boulder, -
Dark locks on a milky shoulder, -
'Neath the wool-white moon.
And the creature singing there
Strangled him in her long hair.

1. Dawn in the Alleghanies
2. The Festival of the Aisne
3. Dithyrambics
4. Solstice
5. The Moon Spirit

Print

1768 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version