Selene the Moon

'HIDE myself in the cloud that flies
From the west and drops on the hill's gray shoulder,
And I gleam through the cloud with my panther-eyes,
While the stars turn paler, the dews grow colder;
I veil my naked glory in mist,
Quivering downward and dewily glistening,
Till his sleep is as pale as my lips unkist,
And I tremble above him, panting and listening.

As white as a star, as cold as a stone,
Dim as my light in a sleeping lake,
With his head on his arm he lieth alone.

And I sigh ' Awake!
Wake, Endymion, wake and see! '
And he stirs in his sleep for the love of me;
But on his eyelids my breath I shake:
'Endymion, Endymion!
Awaken, awaken! '
And the yellow grass stirs with the mystic moan,
And the tall pines groan,
And Echo sighs in her grot forsaken
The name of Endymion!

A foamy dew from the Ocean old,
Whence I rise with shadows behind me flying,
Drops from my sandals and glittereth cold
On the long spear-grass where my love is lying;
My face is dim with departed suns,
And my eyes are dark from the depths of ocean,
A starry shudder throughout me runs,
And my pale cloud stirs with a radiant motion,
When the darkness wherein he slumbers alone
Ebbs back from my brightness, as black waves break
From my shiningankle with shuddering tone;
And I sigh ' Awake!
Wake, Endymion, wake and hear! '
And he stirs in his sleep with a dreamy fear,
And his thin lips part for my sweet sake:
'Endymion, Endymion!
Awaken, awaken! '
And the skies are moved, and a shadow is blown
From the Thunderer's throne,
And the spell of a voice from Olumpos shaken
Echoes ' Endymion! '

Then under his lids like a balmy rain
I put pale dreams of my heavenly glory; —
And he sees me lead with a silver chain
The tamedSea-Tempestwhite-tooth'd and* hoary;
And he sees me fading thro' forests dark
Where the leopard and lion avoid me in wonder,
Or ploughing the sky in a pearly bark,
While the earth is dumb with my beauty under!
Then he brightens and yearns where he lies alone,
And his heart grows dumb with a yearning ache,
And the thin lips part with a wondering moan,
As I sigh ' Awake!
Wake, Endymion, wake and see
All things grow bright for the love of me,
With a love that grows gentle for thy sweet sake!
Endymion, Endymion!

Awaken, awaken! '
And my glory grows paler, the deep woods groan,
And the waves intone,
Ay, all things whereon my glory is shaken
Murmur ' Endymion! '

Ai! The black earth brightens, the Sea creeps near
When I swim from the sunset's shadowy portal;
But he will not see, and he will not hear,
Though to hear and see were to be immortal:
Pale as a star and cold as a stone,
Dim as my ghost in a sleeping lake,
In an icy vision he lieth alone,
And I sigh ' Awake!
Wake, Endymion, wake and be
Divine, divine, for the love of me! '
And my odorous breath on his lids I shake:
'Endymion, Endymion!
Awaken, awaken! '
But Zeus sitteth cold on his cloud-shrouded throne
And heareth my moan,
And his stern lips form not the hope-forsaken Name of Endymion.