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While the wind, no more singing, took to raving, In rhythmic infinite words, A chantey ancient and immeasurable Concerning man and God. What memories of fog-spaces-- Wide leaden deserts of dim wavelessness, Smooth porpoise-broken glass As gray as a dream upon despair's horizon; What sailing soft till lo the shroud was lifted And suddenly there came, as a great joy, The blue sublimity of summer skies, The azure mystery of happy heavens, The passionate sweet parley of the breeze, And dancing waves--that lured us on and on Past islands above whose verdant mountain-heads Enchanted clouds were hanging, And whence wild spices wandered; Past iridescent reefs and vessels bound For ports unknown: O far, far past, until the sun, in fire, An impotent and shrunken orb lay dying, On heaving twilight purple gathered round. And then, what nights!... The phantom moon in misty resurrection Arising from her sepulchre in the East And sparkling the dark waters-- The unremembering moon! And covenants of star to faithful star, Dewy, like tears of God, across the sky; And under the moon's fair ring Orion running Forever in great war adown the West. What far, infinite nights! With cloud-horizons where the lightning slumbered Or wakened once and again with startled watch, Again to fall asleep And leave the moon-path free for all my thoughts To wander peacefully Away and still away Until the stars sighed out in dawn's great pallor, Just as the lands of my desire appeared. What memories ... have I of it! A SONG OF THE OLD VENETIANS The seven fleets of Venice Set sail across the sea For Cyprus and for Trebizond Ayoub and Araby. Their gonfalons are floating far, St. Mark's has heard the mass, And to the noon the salt lagoon Lies white, like burning glass. The seven fleets of Venice-- And each its way to go, Led by a Falier or Tron, Zorzi or Dandalo. The Patriarch has blessed them all, The Doge has waved the word, And in their wings the murmurings Of waiting winds are heard. The seven fleets of Venice-- And what shall be their fate? One shall return with porphyry And pearl and fair agate. One shall return with spice and spoil And silk of Samarcand. But n
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