There was, as in the fairy tales, 
As ne'er in the time's raid, 
There was, of famous royal blood 
A most beautiful maid. 

She was her parents' only child, 
Bright like the sun at noon, 
And like the virgin midst the saints 
And among stars the moon. 

From the deep shadow of the vaults 
Her step now she directs 
Toward a window: at its nook 
Bright Lucifer expects. 

She looks as in the distant seas 
He rises, darts his rays 
And leads the blackish, loaded ships 
On the wet, moving, ways. 

To look at him every night 
Her soul her instincts spur; 
And as he looks at her for weeks 
He falls in love with her. 

And as on her elbows she leans 
Her temple and her whim 
She feels in her heart and soul that 
She falls in love with him. 

And ev'ry night his stormy flames 
More stormily renew 
When in the shadow of the castle 
She shows to his bright view. 

And to her room with her slow steps 
He bears his steps and aims 
Weaving out of his sparkles cold 
A toil of shaking flames. 

And when she throws upon her bed 
Her tired limbs and reposes, 
He glides his hand along her breast 
And her sweet eyelash closes. 

And from her mirror on her shape 
A beam has spread and burns, 
On her big eyes that beat though closed 
And on her face that turns. 

Her smiles view him; the mirror shows 
Him trembling in the nook 
For he is plunging in her dreem 
So that their souls may hook 

She speaks with him in sleep and sighs 
While her heart's swelled veins drum: 
-"O, sweet Lord of my fairy nights, 
Why comest thou not? Come! 

"Descent to me, mild Lucifer, 
Thou canst glide on a beam, 
Enter my dwelling and my mind 
And over my life gleam! " 

And he listens and trembles and 
Still more for her love craves  
And as quick as the lightning he 
Plunges into the waves. 

The water in that very spot 
Moves rolling many rings 
And out of the unknown, dark, depth 
A superb young man springs. 

As on a threshold o' er the still 
His hasty steps he leads, 
Holds in his hand a staff with, at 
Its top, a crown of reeds! 

A young Voivode he seems to be 
With soft and golden hair; 
A blue shroud binds in a knot on 
His naked shoulder fair. 

The shade of his face is of wan 
And thou canst see throughout- 
A handsome dead man with live eyes 
That throw their sparkles out. 

"From my sphere hardly I come to 
Follow thy call and thee. 
The heaven is my father and 
My mother is the sea. 

"So that I could come to thy room 
And look at thee from near  
With my light reborn from waves my 
Fate, toward thee I steer. 

"O, come, my treasure wonderful,  
 And thy world leave aside;  
 For I am Lucifer up from  
  And thou wouldst be my bride. 

"In my palace of coral I'll 
  Take thee for evermore 
And the entire world of the sea  
  Will kneel before thy door".  

"O, thou, art beautiful as but  
 In dreams an angel shows,  
The way though thou hast oped for me  
For me' s for ever close. 

"Thy port and mien and speech are strange 
Life thy gleams don' t impart,  
For I' m alive and thou art dead  
And thy eyes chill my heart. " 

Days have past since; but Lucifer 
Comes up again and stays 
Just as before, spreading o' er her 
 His clear translucent, rays.  

In sleep she would remember him  
And, as before, whole  
Wish for the Master of the waves  
Is clinching now her soul. 

"Descend to me, mild Lucifer, 
Thou canst glide on a beam, 
Enter my dwelling and my mind 
And over my life gleam! " 

He hears; and from the dire despair 
Of such a woeful weird 
He dies, and the heavens revolve 
Where he has disappeared. 

Soon in the air flames ruddy spread 
The world in their grip hold; 
A superb from the spasm of the 
Chaotic valleys mould. 

On his locks of black hair he bears 
His crown a fierce fire frames; 
He floats as he really comes 
Swimming in the sun' s flames. 

His black shroud lets develop out 
His arms marbly and hale; 
He pensively and sadly brings 
His face awfully pale. 

But his big wonderful eyes' gleam 
Chimerically deep, 
Shows two unsatiated spasms 
That but into dark peep. 

-"From my sphere hardly I come to 
Follow thy voice, thy sight; 
The bright sun is my father and 
My mother is the night. " 

"O, come, and upon thy blond hair 
And thy world leave aside  
For I am Lucifer from up  
And thou wouldst be my bride. 
 
 
 

"O, come, and upon thy blond hair 
Crowns of stars I shall crowd, 
And more that all of them, up there, 
Thou wilt look fair and proud." 
 

-"O, thou art beautiful as but 
In dreams a demon shows,  
The way thought thou hast oped for me 
For m'es for ever close". 
 

"The depths of my breast ache from the 
Desire of thy fierce love 
My heavy, big, eyes also ache 
When into them thine shove". 
 

"But how wouldst thou that I come down? 
Know this-for, do I lie?- 
I am immortal, while thou art 
One of those that must die!" 
 

"I hate big words, nor do I know 
How to begin my plea; 
And although thy discourse is clear 
I don't understand thee." 
 

"But if thou wantest my flamed love 
And that would not be sham, 
Come down on this temporal earth, 
Be mortal as I am!" 
 

"I'd lose my immortality  
For but one kiss of thine! 
Well, I will show the how much too 
For thy fierce love I pine!" 

"Yes, I shall be reborn from sin, 
Receive another creed: 
From that endlessness to which I 
Am tied, I shall be freed!" 

And out he went, he went, went out, 
Loving a human fay, 
He plucked himself off from the sky. 
Went for many a day. 

Menwhile, the house-boy, Catalin 
Sly, and who often jests 
When he's filling with wine the cups  
Of the banqueting guests; 

A page that carries step by step  
The trail of the Queen's gown, 
A wandering bastard, but bold 
Like no one in the town; 

His little cheek-a peony 
That under the sun stews; 
Watchful, just like a thief, he sneaks 
In Catalina's views. 

"How beautiful she grew"-thinks he- 
A flower just to pluck! 
Now, Catalin, but now it is  
Thy chance to try luck!" 

And by the way, hurriedly he 
Corners that human fay: 
"What's with thee, Catalin! Let me 
Alone and go thy way!" 

"No! want thee to stay away 
From thoughts that have no fun. 
I want to see thee only laugh, 
Give me a kiss, just one!" 

I don't know, I could show 
And, believe me, retire! 
But for one Lucifer from up  
I've kept my strong desire!" 

"If thou dost not know, I could show 
Thee all about love's balm! 
Only, don't give way to thy ire 
And listen and be calm." 

"So as the hunter throw the net 
That many birds would harm, 
When I stretch my left arm to thee, 
Enlace me with thy arm." 

"Under my eyes keep thine and don't 
Let them move on their wheels  
And if I lift thee by the waist 
Thou must lift on thy heels." 

"When I bend down my face, to hold 
Thine up must be thy strife; 
So, to each other we could throw 
Sweet, eager, looks for life." 

"And so that thou have about love 
A knowledge true and plain, 
When I stop to kiss thee, thou must 
Kiss me too, and again." 

" With much bewilderment her mind 
 The little boy' s world fills  
And shyly and nicely now she  
Wills not, and now she wills. " 
 
 And slowly she tells him: - " Since thy 
   Childhood I' ve known thy wit, 
And as thou art both glib and small 
  My temper thou wouldst fit. " 

" But Lucifer sprung from the calm  
  Of the oblivion,  
Though, gives horizons, limitess 
  To the sea lone and dun. " 

" And secretely I close my eyes 
  For my eyelash tears dim 
When the waves of the sea go on 
  Travelling toward him. " 

" He shines with love unspeakable  
  So that my pains he' d leach  
But higher and higher soars, so 
  That his hand I' d ne' er reach. " 

" Sadly thrusts from the worlds which  from 
  My soul his cold ray bar . . . 
I shall love him, for ever and 
  For ever he' ll rove far. " 

" Like the umeasured steppes my days  
  Are deaf and wild, therefore, 
But my nights spread a holy charm 
  I understand no more! " 

" Thou art a child! Let's go! Through new 
  Lands our own fate let' s frame! 
Soon they shall have trace and 
  Forgot even our name! 

" We shall be both wise, glad, and whole  
  As my judgement infers  
And thou wouldst not long for thy kin 
  Nor yearm for Lucifers! " 

Then Lucifer went out. His wings 
  Grow, into heavens dash, 
And on his way millenniums 
  Flee in less than a flash. 

Below, a depth of stars; above, 
  The heaven stars begem, - 
He seems an endless lightning that 
  Is wandering through them. 

And from the Chaos' vales he sees 
  How in an immense ring 
Round him, as in the World' s first day, 
  Lights from their sources spring; 

How, springing, they hem him like an 
  Ocean that swimming nears. . .  
He flees cared by his disire 
  Until he disappears. 

For that region is boundless and 
  Searching regards avoids 
And Time strives vainly there to come 
  To life from the dark voids. 

' Tis nought. ' Tis, though, thirst that sips him 
  And which he cannot shun, 
' Tis depth unknown, comparable 
  To blind oblivion. 

" From that dark, choking, endlessness 
  Into which I am furled, 
Father, undo me, and for e'er 
  Be praised in the whole world! " 

" Ask anything for this new fate  
  For with mine I am through; 
O, hear my prayer, O, my Lord, for 
  Thou givest life and death too! " 

" Take back my endlessness, the fires 
  That my being devour 
And in return give me a chance 
  To love but for an hour! " 

" I' ve come from Chaos; I' d return 
  To that my former nest. . . 
And as I have been brought to life  
  From rest, I crave for rest! " 

" Hyperion, that comest from  
  The depths with the world' s swarm. 
Do not ask signs and miracles 
  That have no name nor form. " 

" Thou wantest to count among men, 
  Take their resemblance vein; 
But would now the whole mankind die 
Men will be born again. " 

"But they are building on the wind 
Ideals void and blind; 
When human waves run into graves 
New waves spring from behind." 

"Fate's persecution, lucky stars, 
They only are to own; 
Here we know neither time nor space, 
Death we have never known." 

"From the eternal yesterday 
Drinks what today will drain 
And if a sun dies in the sky 
A sun quickens again." 

Risen as for ever, death though 
Follows them like a thorn 
For all are born, only to die 
And die to be reborn. 

"But thou remainest where soe'er 
Thou wouldst set down or flee. 
Thou art of the prime form and an 
Eternal prodigy. 

For whom thou wantest them to die? 
Just go and see what's worth 
All that is waiting there for thee 
On that wandering earth !" 

His first dominion in the sky 
Hyperion restores 
And as in his first day, his light 
All o'er again he pours. 

For it is evening and the night 
Her duty never waives. 
Now the moon rises quietly 
And shaking from the waves. 

And upon the paths of the groves 
Her sparkles again drone ... 
Under the row of linden-trees 
Two youths sit all alone. 
 

"O, darling, let my blessed ear feel 
How thy heart's pulses beat, 
Under the ray of thy eyes clear 
And unspeakably sweet." 

"With the charms of their cold light pierce 
My thought's faery glades, 
Pour an eternal quietness 
On my passion's dark shades." 

"And there, above, remain to stop 
Thy woe's violet stream, 
For thou art my first source of love 
And also my last dream !" 

Hyperion beholds how love 
Their eyes equally charms; 
Scarcely his arm touches her neck, 
She takes him in her arms. 

The silvery blooms spread their smells 
And their soft cascade knocks 
The tops of the heads of both youths 
With long and golden locks. 

And all bewitched by love, she lifts 
Her eyes toward the fires 
Of the witnessing Lucifer, 
And trusts him her desires: 

"Descend to me, mild Lucifer, 
Thou canst glide on a beam, 
Enter my forest and my mind 
And o'er my good luck gleam!" 

As he did it once, into woods, 
On hills, his rays he urges, 
Guilding throughout so many wilds 
The gleaming, moving, surges. 

But he falls not as he did once 
From his height into swells: 
-"What matters thee, clod of dust, if 
'Tis me or someone else? 

"You live in your sphere's narrowness 
And luck rules over you-  
But in my steady world I feel 
Eternal, cold and true!"