New Zealand Verse/Sunset in the Tropics
LIII.
Sunset in the Tropics.
How grandly—when throughout the silent day,
Some ample Day, serene, divine,
Beneath the glowing Line
Our helpless ship had hung as in a trance
In light-blue glassiness of calm that lay
A wide expanse
Encircled by soft depths of ether clear,
Whose melting azure seemed to swim
Surcharged and saturate with balmiest brilliancy—
How grandly solemn was the Day’s decline!
Down as if wholly dropped from out the sky
The fallen Sun’s great disc would lolling lie
Upon the narrowed Ocean’s very rim,
Awfully near!
A hush of expectation almost grim
Wrapt all the pure, blank, empty hemisphere;
While straight across the gleaming crimson floor,
From the unmoving Ship’s black burnished side,
There ran a golden pathway right into the core
Of all that throbbing splendour violet-dyed;
Whither it seemed an easy task to follow
The liquid ripples tremblingly o’erflowing
Into the intense and blinding hollow
Of palpitating purple, showing
The way as through an open door
Into some world of burning bliss, undreamt of heretofore.
Whose heart would not have swelled, the while
Deep adoration and delight came o’er him
At that stupendous mystery, close before him!
Not less, but more stupendous that he knew
Perchance, whate’er the subtle surface-play
Of Science had to teach of level ray
Reflected or refracted; and could say,
Nay, almost count the millions to a mile,
How far away
That pure quintessence of dark fire, deep-lying
In fathomless Flame-Oceans round him flying,
His inconceivable circumference withdrew:
Knew all about the fringe of flames that frisk
In ruddy dance about his moon-masked face,
Set on like petals round a sunflower’s disc—
Each glorious petal shooting into space
Ten times as far as Earth’s vast globe is thick:
Ay! or could prate about full many a world
Worn out, and crushed to cinders, flying fleet,
Or in cold black rotundity complete,
Into his burning bosom headlong hurled,
Just by collision to strike out fresh heat,
And feed with flame, renew and trim,
And keep for aye from falling dim
That monstrous and immeasurable wick—
Say rather—everlastingly keep bright
That awful, mystic, God-created Light!
Some ample Day, serene, divine,
Beneath the glowing Line
Our helpless ship had hung as in a trance
In light-blue glassiness of calm that lay
A wide expanse
Encircled by soft depths of ether clear,
Whose melting azure seemed to swim
Surcharged and saturate with balmiest brilliancy—
How grandly solemn was the Day’s decline!
Down as if wholly dropped from out the sky
The fallen Sun’s great disc would lolling lie
Upon the narrowed Ocean’s very rim,
Awfully near!
A hush of expectation almost grim
Wrapt all the pure, blank, empty hemisphere;
While straight across the gleaming crimson floor,
From the unmoving Ship’s black burnished side,
There ran a golden pathway right into the core
Of all that throbbing splendour violet-dyed;
Whither it seemed an easy task to follow
The liquid ripples tremblingly o’erflowing
Into the intense and blinding hollow
Of palpitating purple, showing
The way as through an open door
Into some world of burning bliss, undreamt of heretofore.
Whose heart would not have swelled, the while
Deep adoration and delight came o’er him
At that stupendous mystery, close before him!
Not less, but more stupendous that he knew
Perchance, whate’er the subtle surface-play
Of Science had to teach of level ray
Reflected or refracted; and could say,
Nay, almost count the millions to a mile,
How far away
That pure quintessence of dark fire, deep-lying
In fathomless Flame-Oceans round him flying,
His inconceivable circumference withdrew:
Knew all about the fringe of flames that frisk
In ruddy dance about his moon-masked face,
Set on like petals round a sunflower’s disc—
Each glorious petal shooting into space
Ten times as far as Earth’s vast globe is thick:
Ay! or could prate about full many a world
Worn out, and crushed to cinders, flying fleet,
Or in cold black rotundity complete,
Into his burning bosom headlong hurled,
Just by collision to strike out fresh heat,
And feed with flame, renew and trim,
And keep for aye from falling dim
That monstrous and immeasurable wick—
Say rather—everlastingly keep bright
That awful, mystic, God-created Light!