Page:Early poems of William Morris.djvu/180

 Sweet gurgling note by note

Of sweet music.

Listen how gold hair sings,

And the Ladies' Castle rings,

Gold wings across the sea.

I sit on a purple bed,

Outside, the wall is red,

Thereby the apple hangs,

And the wasp, caught by the fangs,

Dies in the autumn night,

And the bat flits till light,

And the love-crazed knight

Kisses the long wet grass:

The weary days pass,—

Gold wings across the sea!

Gold wings across the sea!

Moonlight from tree to tree,

Sweet hair laid on my knee,

O, sweet knight, come to me!

Gold wings, the short night slips,

The white swan's long neck drips,

I pray thee, kiss my lips,

Gold wines across the sea.

No answer through the moonlit night;

No answer in the cold grey dawn;

No answer when the shaven lawn

Grew green, and all the roses bright.