I.
Seven maidens 'neath the midnight
 Stand near the river-sea
Whose water sweepeth white around
 The shadow of the tree;
The moon and earth are face to face,
 And earth is slumbering deep;
The wave-voice seems the voice of dreams
 That wander through her sleep:
   The river floweth on.
II.
What bring they 'neath the midnight,
 Beside the river-sea?
 They bring the human heart wherein
No nightly calm can be,—
That droppeth never with the wind,
 Nor drieth with the dew:
Oh, calm in God! thy calm is broad
 To cover spirits too.
   The river floweth on.
III.
The maidens lean them over
 The waters, side by side,
And shun each other's deepening eyes,
 And gaze adown the tide;
For each within a little boat
 A little lamp hath put,
And heaped for freight some lily's weight
 Or scarlet rose half shut.
   The river floweth on.
IV.
Of shell of cocoa carven
 Each little boat is made;
Each carries a lamp, and carries a flower,
 And carries a hope unsaid;
And when the boat hath carried the lamp
 Unquenched till out of sight,
The maiden is sure that love will endure;
 But love will fail with light.
   The river floweth on.
V.
Why, all the stars are ready
 To symbolize the soul,
The stars untroubled by the wind,
 Unwearied as they roll;
And yet the soul by instinct sad
 Reverts to symbols low—
To that small flame, whose very name
 Breathed o'er it, shakes it so!
   The river floweth on.
VI.
Six boats are on the river,
 Seven maidens on the shore,
While still above them steadfastly
   The stars shine evermore.
Go, little boats, go soft and safe,
 And guard the symbol spark!
The boats aright go safe and bright
 Across the waters dark.
   The river floweth on.
VII.
The maiden Luti watcheth
 Where onwardly they float:
That look in her dilating eyes
 Might seem to drive her boat:
Her eyes still mark the constant fire,
 And kindling unawares
That hopeful while, she lets a smile
 Creep silent through her prayers.
   The river floweth on.
VIII.
The smile—where hath it wandered?
 She riseth from her knee,
She holds her dark, wet locks away—
 There is no light to see!
She cries a quick and bitter cry—
 "Nuleeni, launch me thine!
We must have light abroad to-night,
 For all the wreck of mine."
   The river floweth on.
IX.
"I do remember watching
 Beside this river-bed
When on my childish knee was leaned
 My dying father's head;
I turned mine own to keep the tears
 From falling on his face:
What doth it prove when Death and Love
 Choose out the self-same place?"
   The river floweth on.
X.
"They say the dead are joyful
 The death-change here receiving:
Who say—ah me! who dare to say
 Where joy comes to the living?
Thy boat, Nuleeni! look not sad—
 Light up the waters rather!
I weep no faithless lover where
 I wept a loving father."
   The river floweth on.
XI.
"My heart foretold his falsehood
 Ere my little boat grew dim;
And though I closed mine eyes to dream
 That one last dream of him,
They shall not now be wet to see
 The shining vision go:
From earth's cold love I look above
 To the holy house of snow."
   The river floweth on.
XII.
"Come thou—thou never knewest
 A grief, that thou shouldst fear one!
Thou wearest still the happy look
 That shines beneath a dear one:
Thy humming-bird is in the sun,
 Thy cuckoo in the grove,
And all the three broad worlds, for thee
 Are full of wandering love."
   The river floweth on.
XIII.
"Why, maiden, dost thou loiter?
 What secret wouldst thou cover?
That peepul cannot hide thy boat,
 And I can guess thy lover;
I heard thee sob his name in sleep,
 It was a name I knew:
Come, little maid, be not afraid,
 But let us prove him true!"
   The river floweth on.
XIV.
The little maiden cometh,
 She cometh shy and slow;
I ween she seeth through her lids
 They drop adown so low:
Her tresses meet her small bare feet,
 She stands and speaketh nought,
Yet blusheth red as if she said
The name she only thought.
   The river floweth on.
XV.
She knelt beside the water,
 She lighted up the flame,
And o'er her youthful forehead's calm
 The fitful radiance came:—
"Go, little boat, go soft and safe,
 And guard the symbol spark!"
Soft, safe doth float the little boat
 Across the waters dark.
   The river floweth on.
XVI.
Glad tears her eyes have blinded,
 The light they cannot reach;
She turneth with that sudden smile
 She learnt before her speech—
"I do not hear his voice, the tears
   Have dimmed my light away,
But the symbol light will last to-night,
The love will last for aye!"
   The river floweth on.
XVII.
Then Luti spake behind her,
 Outspake she bitterly—
"By the symbol light that lasts to-night,
 Wilt vow a vow to me?"
Nuleeni gazeth up her face,
 Soft answer maketh she—
"By loves that last when lights are past,
 I vow that vow to thee!"
   The river floweth on.
XVIII.
An earthly look had Luti
 Though her voice was deep as prayer—
"The rice is gathered from the plains
 To cast upon thine hair:
But when he comes his marriage-band
 Around thy neck to throw,
Thy bride-smile raise to meet his gaze,
And whisper,—There is one betrays,
 While Luti suffers woe."
   The river floweth on.
XIX.
"And when in seasons after,
 Thy little bright-faced son
Shall lean against thy knee and ask
 What deeds his sire hath done,—
Press deeper down thy mother-smile
 His glossy curls among,
View deep his pretty childish eyes,
And whisper,—There is none denies,
 While Luti speaks of wrong."
v    The river floweth on.
XX.
Nuleeni looked in wonder,
 Yet softly answered she—
"By loves that last when lights are past,
 I vowed that vow to thee:
But why glads it thee that a bride-day be
 By a word of woe defiled?
That a word of wrong take the cradle-song
 From the ear of a sinless child?"
"Why?" Luti said, and her laugh was dread,
 And her eyes dilated wild—
"That the fair new love may her bridegroom prove,
 And the father shame the child!"
   The river floweth on.
XXI.
"Thou flowest still, O river,
 Thou flowest 'neath the moon;
Thy lily hath not changed a leaf,
 Thy charmèd lute a tune:
He mixed his voice with thine and his
 Was all I heard around;
But now, beside his chosen bride,
 I hear the river's sound."
   The river floweth on.
XXII.
"I gaze upon her beauty
 Through the tresses that enwreathe it;
The light above thy wave, is hers—
 My rest, alone beneath it:
Oh, give me back the dying look
 My father gave thy water!
Give back—and let a little love
 O'erwatch his weary daughter!"
   The river floweth on.
XXIII.
"Give back!" she hath departed—
 The word is wandering with her;
And the stricken maidens hear afar
 The step and cry together.
Frail symbols? None are frail enow
 For mortal joys to borrow!—
While bright doth float Nuleeni's boat,
 She weepeth dark with sorrow.
   The river floweth on.
Other Elizabeth Barrett Browning songs:
all Elizabeth Barrett Browning songs all songs from 2013