1 Trim the sails the weird stars under— <br />2 Past the iron hail and thunder, <br />3 Past the mystery and the wonder, <br />4 Sails our fated bark; <br />5 Past the myriad voices hailing, <br />6 Past the moaning and the wailing, <br />7 The far voices failing, failing, <br />8 Drive we to the dark. <br /> <br />9 Past the headlands grim and sombre, <br />10 Past the shores of mist and slumber, <br />11 Leagues on leagues no man may number, <br />12 Soundings none can mark; <br />13 While the olden voices calling, <br />14 One by one behind are falling; <br />15 Into silence dread, appalling, <br />16 Drift we to the dark. <br /> <br />17 Far behind, the sad eyes yearning, <br />18 Hands that wring for our returning, <br />19 Lamps of love yet vainly burning: <br />20 Past the headlands stark! <br />21 Through the wintry snows and sleeting, <br />22 On our pallid faces beating, <br />23 Through the phantom twilight fleeting, <br />24 Drive we to the dark. <br /> <br />25 Without knowledge, without warning, <br />26 Drive we to no lands of morning; <br />27 Far ahead no signals horning <br />28 Hail our nightward bark. <br />29 Hopeless, helpless, weird, outdriven, <br />30 Fateless, friendless, dread, unshriven, <br />31 For some race-doom unforgiven, <br />32 Drive we to the dark. <br /> <br />33 Not one craven or unseemly; <br />34 In the flare-light gleaming dimly, <br />35 Each ghost-face is watching grimly: <br />36 Past the headlands stark! <br />37 Hearts wherein no hope may waken, <br />38 Like the clouds of night wind-shaken, <br />39 Chartless, anchorless, forsaken, <br />40 Drift we to the dark.<br /><br />William Wilfred Campbell<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-dread-voyage/
