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from Peter Bell

There’s something in a flying horse,
There’s something in a huge balloon,
But through the clouds I’ll never float
Until I have a little boat
In shape just like the crescent moon
 
And now I have a little boat
In shape just like the crescent moon.
Fast through the clouds my boat can sail,
But if perchance your faith should fail,
Look up and you shall see me soon
………….
Away we go, my boat and I,
Sure never man had such another
Whether among the winds we strive
Or deep into the heavens we drive
We’re both contented with each other

Away we go, and what care we
For treasons, tumults and for wars?
We are as calm in our delight
As is the crescent moon so bright
Among the scattered stars

 Up goes my boat between the stars
Through many a breathless field of light
Through many a long blue field of ether
Leaving ten thousand stars beneath her
Up goes my little boat so bright 

The towns in Saturn are ill built,
But Jove has very pretty bowers;
The evening star is not amiss,
But what are all of them to this
This little earth of ours? 

Then back again to our green earth
What business had I here to roam?
The world for my remarks and me
Will not a whit the better be
I’ve left my heart at home

And that is then the dear green earth
And that’s the dear Pacific ocean
And that is Caucusus so dear
To think that I again am here
Oh! My poor heart’s commotion!

And there is little Tartary
And there’s the famous River Dnieper
And there amid the ocean green
Is that sweet isle, of isles the queen,
Ye fairies! from all evil keep her

And there’s the town where I was born
And that’s the house of parson Swan
My heart is touched, I must avow,
Consider where I’ve been, and now
I feel I am a man.

Never did fifty things at once
Appear as lovely, never, never.
The woods how sweetly do they ring
To hear the earth’s sweet murmuring
Thus could I hang for ever
 
‘Oh shame  upon you! Cruel shame!
Was ever such a heartless loon.
In such a lovely boat to sit,
And make no better use of it;
A boat that’s like the crescent moon!
……….
I am a pretty little barge
Then come I pray you come with me
I want a comrade and for you
There’s nothing which I would not do
There’s nothing which you shall not see

Come, and above the land of snow
We’ll sport amid the boreal morning
Where thousand forms of light are riding
Among the stars, the stars now hiding
And now the stars adorning.

I know a deep romantic land
A land that’s deep and far away
And fair it is as evening skies
And in the farthest heart it lies
Of deepest Africa

Or we’ll into the world of fairy
Among the lovely shades of things
The shadowy forms of mountains bare
And streams and bowers and ladies fair
The shades of palaces and kings

My pretty little form of light
My sweet and beautiful canoe
Now though it grieves me to the heart
O feel, I feel that we must part;
I must take leave of you
 
You are a pretty little barge
But while your pleasure you’re pursuing
Without impediment or let,
My little barge, you quite forget
What in the world is doing.

Suppose now in the land of fairy
That we should play our sportive pranks
Above those shadowy streams and there
Should make discoveries rich and rare
The world would count us little thanks 

There was a time, a time indeed,
A time when poets lived in clover
What boots it now to keep the key
Of Fairyland? For woe is me
Those blessed days are over