Up from the sea the May-morn sun is springing,
Even as a queen from out her radiant bath,
Still to the waves her purple mantle clinging,
Painteth the floods that glow beneath her path;
There the tall hills, grown grey with countless ages,
Like white-haired menials, with her jewels stand;
Here the low hillocks, like obsequious pages,
Kneel at her feet, with flowers in every hand!
But what is this boils in the billows below,
Where the foam sparkles up like the flakes of the snow, —
Where, as if for a war-horse, the waters divide,
And the flashing of armour is seen o'er the tide?

On a white steed, with glittering state attended,
O'er the bright wave a youthful knight doth wind;
If by his side the war-sword hangs suspended,
Still round his brow the olive wreath is twined;
If there be terror in the shield he's wearing,
Love shines serenely from his mild warm eyes —
Now as the enemy of peace appearing,
And now its guardian angel from the skies.
His kingdom is hid 'neath the blue water's rim,
And for pleasures that pall not, oh! who is like him?
And, the peace of his home o'er the glad earth to fling,
Every year doth the hero come back with the spring.

Before all others, those to bliss he raiseth
Who in his peaceful pathway meet his sight;
Oh! happy he who in his blue eye gazeth,
Where love is kindled in its tranquil light;
There golden peace, Heaven's fairest blossom, bloometh;
There misery smiles, her mourning weeds forsook;
There pallid Death the form of life assumeth,
And weakness strength, before its wonder-look.
Oh! Friendship, thy garland that withers bring here —
Quick blossom the flowers in the spring of the year;
Oh! Sadness, bring hither thy heart's icy chain,
For the Elf-King is here who will rend it in twain.

Lo! there his train in snowy circles glancing,
Quick o'er the tide a pearly legion shoots;
Here fairest youths with flowery wreaths advancing;
There tender maidens bearing golden fruits —
While o'er the waves, amid the murmuring mountains,
Notes, like the breath of roses, steal along.
Ah! — 'tis the spring-psalm of the welling fountains;
Ah! — 'tis the Elfin's love-warmed magic song.
" Oh! mortal, look hither, no sight is like this,
For the Elf-King is here who doth offer you bliss.
The sun shineth lightly, — oh! bask in its beam!
And pleasure flows lightly, — oh! bathe in its stream! "

Here leaps the torrent from the hill-top o'er us,
There, the blue Heaven, the bluer violet seeks —
Here to the sun ascends the lark's wild chorus,
There rose to rose incline their glowing cheeks.
High in the clouds the hardy pine-tree swayeth;
Round the fair lily's crown new pearls are seen;
And even the grave its awful breast arrayeth,
In Life and Hope's immortal robe of green.
Now the voices are blent as the fairies pass by;
Now the whirlwind of song sweeps the earth and the sky;
But, alas! there's no mortal to hear the sweet song,
No mortal the lake's lonely margin along.

Now must the knight, among his train departing,
Seek once again his kingdom's crystal roof!
Once more his shield its flashing light is darting,
Once more his white steed paws with silver hoof.
In his stretch'd hand the proffered garland lieth,
From his kind lips the call doth float once more;
Ah! — now at length his searching eye descrieth
Two happy mortals on the blooming shore!
They are lovers who rest where the meadow grass plays,
On the face of each other enchanted they gaze,
On the eyes of each other their glances are bound,
And they see nothing else in the universe round.

The garland streams — they see no garland streaming;
The song resounds — they hear it not — 'tis vain;
The knight's fair face with proffer'd bliss is beaming,
But now he sinks with all his fairy train.
Slowly they sink, sweet farewell notes each linketh;
Calm sound the ripples round each rock and cave;
But in each spot wherein a fairy sinketh,
Up springs a flowery island in the wave.
The lovers enraptur'd still rest on the shore,
And their bosoms with happiness beat as before,
And the gold of the heaven has been doubled in glow —
But they know not the cause and they never shall know.