Page:The complete poetical works of Percy Bysshe Shelley, including materials never before printed in any edition of the poems.djvu/696

And taught it justly to reply,
To all who question skilfully, 60
In language gentle as thine own;^[1]
Whispering in enamoured tone
Sweet oracles of woods and dells.
And summer winds in sylvan cells;
For it had learned all harmonies 65
Of the plains and of the skies,
Of the forests and the mountains,
And the many-voiced fountains;
The clearest echoes of the hills,
The softest notes of falling rills, 70
The melodies of birds and bees,
The murmuring of summer seas,
And pattering rain, and breathing dew,
And airs of evening; and it knew
That seldom-heard mysterious sound,
Which, driven on^[2] its diurnal round,
As it floats through boundless day,
Our world enkindles on its way.—
All this it knows, but will not tell
To those who cannot question well
The Spirit that inhabits it; 81
It talks according to the wit
Of its companions; and no more
Is heard than has been felt before,
By those who tempt it to betray 85
These secrets of an elder day:
But, sweetly as its answers will
Flatter hands of perfect skill,
It keeps its highest, holiest tone
For our beloved Jane^[3] alone. 90

 

TO JANE: 'THE KEEN STARS WERE TWINKLING'

[Published in part (ll. 7-24) by Medwin (under the title, An Ariette for Music. To a Lady singing to her Accompaniment on the Guitar), The Athenæum, Nov. 17, 1832; reprinted by Mrs. Shelley, P. W., 1839, 1st ed. Republished in full (under the title, To ——— ), P. W., 1839, 2nd ed. The Trelawny MS. is headed To Jane. Mr. C. W. Frederickson of Brooklyn possesses a transcript in an unknown hand.]

I
The keen stars were twinkling,
And the fair moon was rising among them,
Dear Jane!^[4]
The guitar was tinkling,
But the notes were not sweet till you sung them 5
Again.

II
As the moon's soft^[5] splendour
O'er the faint cold starlight of Heaven
Is thrown,
So your^[6] voice most tender 10
To the strings without soul had then^[7] given
Its^[8] own.

III
The stars will awaken,
Though the moon sleep a full hour later.
To-night; 15
No leaf will be shaken
Whilst the dews of your^[9] melody scatter
Delight.

IV
Though the sound^[10] overpowers,
Sing again, with your dear^[11] voice revealing 20
A tone
Of some world far from ours,
Where music and moonlight and feeling
Are one.

1. 61 thine own Trelawny MS., 1839, 2nd ed.; its own 1832. 1833, 1839, 1st ed.
2. 76 on Trelawny MS., 1839, 2nd ed.; in 1832, 1833, 1839, 1st ed.
3. 90 Jane Trelawny MS.; friend 1832, 1833, edd. 1839.
4. 3 Dear * * * 1839, 2nd ed.
5. 7 soft] pale Fred. MS.
6. 10 your 1839, 2nd ed.; thy 1832, 1839, 1st ed., Fred. MS.
7. 11 had then 1839, 2nd ed.; has 1832, 1839, 1st ed.; hath Fred. MS.
8. 12 Its] Thine Fred. MS.
9. 17 your 1839, 2nd ed.; thy 1832, 1839, 1st ed., Fred. MS.
10. 19 sound] song Fred. MS.
11. 20 your dear 1839, 2nd ed.; thy sweet 1832, 1839, 1st ed.; thy soft Fred. MS.