While The Musician Played.

O it was but a dream I had             While the musician played! -         And here the sky, and here the glad             Old ocean kissed the glade -         And here the laughing ripples ran,             And here the roses grew         That threw a kiss to every man             That voyaged with the crew.         Our silken sails in lazy folds             Drooped in the breathless breeze:         As o'er a field of marigolds             Our eyes swam o'er the seas;         While here the eddies lisped and purled             Around the island's rim,         And up from out the underworld             We saw the mermen swim.         And it was dawn and middle-day             And midnight - for the moon         On silver rounds across the bay             Had climbed the skies of June -         And there the glowing, glorious king             Of day ruled o'er his realm,         With stars of midnight glittering             About his diadem.         The seagull reeled on languid wing             In circles round the mast,         We heard the songs the sirens sing             As we went sailing past;         And up and down the golden sands             A thousand fairy throngs         Flung at us from their flashing hands             The echoes of their songs.         O it was but a dream I had             While the musician played -         For here the sky, and here the glad             Old ocean kissed the glade;         And here the laughing ripples ran,             And here the roses grew         That threw a kiss to every man             That voyaged with the crew.