The Complete Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley (ed. Hutchinson, 1914)/To Jane: 'The keen stars were twinkling'

by Percy Bysshe Shelley

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!^[1]
The guitar was tinkling,
But the notes were not sweet till you sung them 5
Again.

II
As the moon's soft^[2] splendour
O'er the faint cold starlight of Heaven
Is thrown,
So your^[3] voice most tender 10
To the strings without soul had then^[4] given
Its^[5] 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^[6] melody scatter
Delight.

IV
Though the sound^[7] overpowers,
Sing again, with your dear^[8] voice revealing 20
A tone
Of some world far from ours,
Where music and moonlight and feeling
Are one.

1. 3 Dear * * * 1839, 2nd ed.
2. 7 soft] pale Fred. MS.
3. 10 your 1839, 2nd ed.; thy 1832, 1839, 1st ed., Fred. MS.
4. 11 had then 1839, 2nd ed.; has 1832, 1839, 1st ed.; hath Fred. MS.
5. 12 Its] Thine Fred. MS.
6. 17 your 1839, 2nd ed.; thy 1832, 1839, 1st ed., Fred. MS.
7. 19 sound] song Fred. MS.
8. 20 your dear 1839, 2nd ed.; thy sweet 1832, 1839, 1st ed.; thy soft Fred. MS.