The Poetical Works of William Wordsworth Volume I Part 16

[Variant 89:

1827.

Beyond the mountain's giant reach that hides In deep determin'd gloom his subject tides.

--Mid the dark steeps repose the shadowy streams, As touch'd with dawning moonlight's h.o.a.ry gleams, Long streaks of fairy light the wave illume With bordering lines of intervening gloom, 1793.

The second and third of these couplets were cancelled in the edition of 1815, and the whole pa.s.sage was withdrawn in 1827.]

[Variant 90:

1836.

Soft o'er the surface creep the l.u.s.tres pale Tracking with silvering path the changeful gale. 1793.

... those l.u.s.tres pale Tracking the fitful motions of the gale. 1815.]

[Variant 91:

1815.

--'Tis restless magic all; at once the bright [vi]

Breaks on the shade, the shade upon the light, Fair Spirits are abroad; in sportive chase Brushing with lucid wands the water's face, While music stealing round the glimmering deeps Charms the tall circle of th' enchanted steeps.

--As thro' th' astonished woods the notes ascend, The mountain streams their rising song suspend; Below Eve's listening Star, the sheep walk stills It's drowsy tinklings on th' attentive hills; The milkmaid stops her ballad, and her pail Stays it's low murmur in th' unbreathing vale; No night-duck clamours for his wilder'd mate, Aw'd, while below the Genii hold their state.

--The pomp is fled, and mute the wondrous strains, No wrack of all the pageant scene remains, [vii] So vanish those fair Shadows, human Joys, But Death alone their vain regret destroys.

Unheeded Night has overcome the vales, On the dark earth the baffl'd vision fails, If peep between the clouds a star on high, There turns for glad repose the weary eye; The latest lingerer of the forest train, The lone-black fir, forsakes the faded plain; Last evening sight, the cottage smoke no more, Lost in the deepen'd darkness, glimmers h.o.a.r; High towering from the sullen dark-brown mere, Like a black wall, the mountain steeps appear, Thence red from different heights with restless gleam Small cottage lights across the water stream, Nought else of man or life remains behind To call from other worlds the wilder'd mind, Till pours the wakeful bird her solemn strains [viii] Heard by the night-calm of the watry plains.

--No purple prospects now the mind employ Glowing in golden sunset tints of joy, But o'er the sooth'd ...

Only in the edition of 1793.]

[Variant 92:

1836.

The bird, with fading light who ceas'd to thread Silent the hedge or steaming rivulet's bed, 1793.

The bird, who ceased, with fading light, to thread 1815.]

[Variant 93:

1836.

Salute with boding note the rising moon, Frosting with h.o.a.ry light the pearly ground, And pouring deeper blue to Aether's bound; Rejoic'd her solemn pomp of clouds to fold In robes of azure, fleecy white, and gold, While rose and poppy, as the glow-worm fades, Checquer with paler red the thicket shades. 1793.

The last two lines occur only in the edition of 1793.

And pleased her solemn pomp of clouds to fold 1815.]

[Variant 94:

1836.

Now o'er the eastern hill, ... 1793.

See, o'er ... 1815.]

[Variant 95:

1836.

She lifts in silence up her lovely face; 1793.]

[Variant 96:

1836.

Above ... 1793.]

[Variant 97:

1815.

... silvery ... 1793.]

[Variant 98:

1815.

... golden ... 1793.]

[Variant 99:

1836.

The deepest dell the mountain's breast displays, 1793.

... the mountain's front ... 1820.]