Dance of the Fairies

It is an evening calm and still,
With daylight palely ling’ring;
O’er aspen-gilded mead and hill,
To mingle with many a flutter and thrill,
Sweet fairies dance, and softly sing:

Come hither!
Come hither!
As far below, wand’ring,
The silv’ry streams slither,
So let us be yond’ring,
It matters not whither!
Oh, still let us thither,
Ne’er pond’ring
Why thither.
O’er hilltop
And hollow,
Without stop
We follow
The breeze’s soft sighing;
The fair meadows call; – O,
There let us be flying!

Make merry!
Make merry!
Now let us be calling
Each wandering fairy!
On mountain
And prairie
Now starlight is falling;
‘Round each flowing,
Soft-glowing
Fountain
The sweet scents are cheery:
Then each winged, airy
Fair creature
Be no longer
Weary!
For every feature
Of nightfall grows stronger
As moonlight
Grows brighter,
And soon might
Than snow become clearer
And whiter; –
To fairy hearts dearer!
Come hither,
Each fairy!
Come hither,
Make merry!

And so they while the night away
In dancing and in singing;
My cheerless heart will sigh alway,
For now I have seen spritely fairies at play,
And naught sweet joy to me may bring.

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