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amy beach - the chambered nautilus, op. 66 lyrics

this is the ship of pearl, which, poets feign
sails the unshadowed main, ++
the venturous bark that flings
on the sweet summer wind its purpled wings
in gulfs enchanted, where the siren sings
and coral reefs lie bare
where the cold sea+maids rise to sun their streaming hair

its webs of living gauze no more unfurl;
wrecked is the ship of pearl!
and every chambered cell
where its dim dreaming life was won’t to dwell
as the frail tenant shaped his growing sh+ll
before thee lies revealed, ++
its irised ceiling rent, its sunless crypt unsealed!

year after year beheld the silent toil
that spread his l+strous coil;
still, as the spiral grew
he left the past year’s dwelling for the new
stole with soft step its shining archway through
built up its idle door
stretched in his last+found home, and knew the old no more

thanks for the heavenly message brought by thee
child of the wandering sea
cast from her lap, forlorn!
from thy dead lips a clearer note is born
than ever triton blew from wreathèd h+rn!
while on mine ear it rings
through the deep caves of thought i hear a voice that sings: ++
build thee more stately mansions, o my soul
as the swift seasons roll!
leave thy low+vaulted past!
let each new temple, n0bler than the last
shut thee from heaven with a dome more vast
till thou at length art free
leaving thine outgrown sh+ll by life’s unresting sea!

- amy beach lyrics

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