'Tis the witching hour of night, <br />Orbed is the moon and bright, <br />And the stars they glisten, glisten, <br />Seeming with bright eyes to listen -- <br />For what listen they? <br />For a song and for a charm, <br />See they glisten in alarm, <br />And the moon is waxing warm <br />To hear what I shall say. <br />Moon! keep wide thy golden ears -- <br />Hearken, stars! and hearken, spheres! -- <br />Hearken, thou eternal sky! <br />I sing an infant's lullaby, <br />A pretty lullaby. <br />Listen, listen, listen, listen, <br />Glisten, glisten, glisten, glisten, <br />And hear my lullaby! <br />Though the rushes that will make <br />Its cradle still are in the lake -- <br />Though the linen that will be <br />Its swathe, is on the cotton tree -- <br />Though the woollen that will keep <br />It warm, is on the silly sheep -- <br />Listen, starlight, listen, listen, <br />Glisten, glisten, glisten, glisten, <br />And hear my lullaby! <br />Child, I see thee! Child, I've found thee <br />Midst of the quiet all around thee! <br />And thy mother sweet is nigh thee! <br />But a Poet evermore! <br />See, see, the lyre, the lyre, <br />In a flame of fire, <br />Upon the little cradle's top <br />Flaring, flaring, flaring, <br />Past the eyesight's bearing, <br />Awake it from its sleep, <br />And see if it can keep <br />Its eyes upon the blaze -- <br />Amaze, amaze! <br />It stares, it stares, it stares, <br />It dares what no one dares! <br />It lifts its little hand into the flame <br />Unharm'd, and on the strings <br />Paddles a little tune, and sings, <br />With dumb endeavour sweetly -- <br />Bard art thou completely! <br />Little child <br />O' th' western wild, <br />Bard art thou completely! <br />Sweetly with dumb endeavour, <br />A Poet now or never, <br />Little child <br />O' th' western wild, <br />A Poet now or never!<br /><br />John Keats<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/a-prophecy-to-george-keats-in-america/
