What hid'st thou in thy treasure-caves and cells? <br />Thou hollow-sounding and mysterious main! <br />-Pale glistening pearls, and rainbow-colour'd shells, <br />Bright things which gleam unreck'd-of, and in vain! <br />-Keep, keep thy riches, melancholy sea! <br />We ask not such from thee. <br /> <br />Yet more, the depths have more!-what wealth untold, <br />Far down, and shining through their stillness lies! <br />Thou hast the starry gems, the burning gold, <br />Won from ten thousand royal Argosies! <br />-Sweep o'er thy spoils, thou wild and wrathful main! <br />Earth claims not these again. <br /> <br />Yet more, the depths have more!-thy waves have roll'd <br />Above the cities of a world gone by! <br />Sand hath fill'd up the palaces of old, <br />Sea-weed o'ergrown the halls of revelry. <br />-Dash o'er them, ocean! in thy scornful play! <br />Man yields them to decay. <br /> <br />Yet more! the billows and the depths have more! <br />High hearts and brave are gather'd to thy breast! <br />They hear not now the booming waters roar, <br />The battle thunders will not break their rest. <br />-Keep thy red gold and gems, thou stormy grave! <br />Give back the true and brave! <br /> <br />Give back the lost and lovely!-those for whom <br />The place was kept at board and hearth so long, <br />The prayer went up through midnight's breathless gloom, <br />And the vain yearning woke 'midst festal song! <br />Hold fast thy buried Isles, thy towers o'erthrown- <br />But all is not thine own. <br /> <br />To thee the love of woman hath gone down, <br />Dark flow thy tides o'er manhood's noble head, <br />O'er youth's bright locks, and beauty's flowery crown, <br />-Yet must thou hear a voice-restore the dead! <br />Earth shall reclaim her precious things from thee! <br />-Restore the dead, thou sea!<br /><br />Felicia Dorothea Hemans<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-treasures-of-the-deep/
