The stormy Cape is passed; now the wide sea
Rolls with a prouder and a bolder swell;
The joyous tar, chaunting “Ho, cheerily,”
Hoists the reefed top-sail to the western gale,
And the tall ship in kinglike majesty
Breasts the huge billow with her oaken mail;
But as she rolls, mark how her mainyard arm,
Touching the wave, pays homage to the storm.
The storm, the calm, the foul wind and the fair,
Succeed in ever-varying round; meanwhile
The distance lessens, and with favouring air,
You soon espy St. Paul’s volcanic isle.
Its steep cliffs may invite you, but beware
Of landing on its treacherous coast; the toil
Has cost some dear who now all silent sleep,
In that wild sea full fifty fathoms deep.
Who that hath sailed the deep sea but hath built
His castles in the air? I have built mine
High as the Tower of Babel, and have gilt
Their walls with glittering gold. The generous wine
Has flowed in their old Gothic halls, while tilt
And tourney graced the scene; and as the line
Of giant waves rolled on, ‘twould oft appear
A troop of belted knights with shield and spear.
‘Tis sweet to gaze over the tall ship’s side
On that wide field of waves the live-long day.
‘Tis sweet by pale moonlight to see her glide
Along, from her strong bows dashing the spray.
‘Tis sweet when messmates to their berths have hied
And all is darkness save where the ship’s way
Through midnight waters, leaves a stream of light
Phosphoric in her wake the live-long night,
To sit and muse alone, thinking of thee
Fair –. But ’tis sweeter far,
After a six month’s tossing on the sea,
To view the land once more. Barren hills are
All beauteous then, and ocean’s scenery
Can please no longer. List, then, as each tar
Catching the sound, they shout on every hand,
“Land! land! huzza! Huzza Van Dieman’s Land!”
“‘Tis the South-west Cape, Captain Mizenboom!”
“It may be so,” the stout old tar replies.
“Look yonder, Fanny, how the mountains loom,”
Exclaims the hopeful settler, while his eyes
Sparkle with joy. May bounteous Heaven illume
His pathway in his Southern Paradise!
Meanwhile the stately vessel glides along
And joy pervades the hoarse-voiced nautic throng.
(John Dunmore Lang)
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Based on Topics: Night Poems, Light Poems, Joy & Excitement Poems, Fairness Poems, Thought & Thinking Poems, Sleep Poems, Success Poems, Gold Poems, Charity Poems, Hospitality PoemsBased on Keywords: ever-varying, chaunting, lessens, huzza, hoists, phosphoric, reefed, kinglike, hoarse-voiced, berths, mainyard