Lines Written in the Bay of Lerici

She left me at the silent time
    When the moon had ceas'd to climb
    The azure path of Heaven's steep,
    And like an albatross asleep,
    Balanc'd on her wings of light,
    Hover'd in the purple night,
    Ere she sought her ocean nest
    In the chambers of the West.
    She left me, and I stay'd alone
  Thinking over every tone
  Which, though silent to the ear,
  The enchanted heart could hear,
  Like notes which die when born, but still
  Haunt the echoes of the hill;
  And feeling ever--oh, too much!--
  The soft vibration of her touch,
  As if her gentle hand, even now,
  Lightly trembled on my brow;
  And thus, although she absent were,
  Memory gave me all of her
  That even Fancy dares to claim:
  Her presence had made weak and tame
  All passions, and I lived alone
  In the time which is our own;
  The past and future were forgot,
  As they had been, and would be, not.
  But soon, the guardian angel gone,
  The daemon reassum'd his throne
  In my faint heart. I dare not speak
  My thoughts, but thus disturb'd and weak
  I sat and saw the vessels glide
  Over the ocean bright and wide,
  Like spirit-winged chariots sent
  O'er some serenest element
  For ministrations strange and far,
  As if to some Elysian star
  Sailed for drink to medicine
  Such sweet and bitter pain as mine.
  And the wind that wing'd their flight
  From the land came fresh and light,
  And the scent of winged flowers,
  And the coolness of the hours
  Of dew, and sweet warmth left by day,
  Were scatter'd o'er the twinkling bay.
  And the fisher with his lamp
  And spear about the low rocks damp
  Crept, and struck the fish which came
  To worship the delusive flame.
  Too happy they, whose pleasure sought
  Extinguishes all sense and thought
  Of the regret that pleasure leaves,
  Destroying life alone, not peace!