East o' the Sun and West o' the Moon

Nora Hopper Chesson

1871 to 1906

Poem Image

East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon, 
There lies an island fair to see 
Where Eld nor Autumn, any noon 
Lay hands upon the blossomed tree: 
Nor gold hair wears to sorry gray, 
But youth is fain of endless May, 
And yet, they say, love knows no rune 
East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon. 

It is an island lief and dear, 
And they are sad who turn away 
Their vessels from its sunshine clear 
Into the mists of every-day. 
And some there are that never come 
In hearing of its winds that croon, 
But vainly steer with longing dumb 
East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon. 

East o' the Sun are faces kind 
That sorrow never turns away, 
May's sunshine meets the April wind 
Among the young green leaves at play. 
There Greek and Trojan fight no more, 
And Merlin sleeps upon the shore, 
Leprechaun clouts Rhodope's shoon, 
East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon. 

There Eros seeks his shafts o'ersped 
And Arne finds the flying tune, 
There withered roses blossom red, 
And Ariel's singing on the dune. 
There in a castle strong, 'tis said, 
Queen Brynhild dwells with white Gudrun- 
And would my soul and thy soul sped 
East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon.