White swan of cities, slumbering in thy nest br So wonderfully built among the reeds br Of the lagoon, that fences thee and feeds, br As sayeth thy old historian and thy guest! br White water-lily, cradled and caressed br By ocean streams, and from the silt and weeds br Lifting thy golden filaments and seeds, br Thy sun-illumined spires, thy crown and crest! br White phantom city, whose untrodden streets br Are rivers, and whose pavements are the shifting br Shadows of palaces and strips of sky; br I wait to see thee vanish like the fleets br Seen in mirage, or towers of cloud uplifting br In air their unsubstantial masonry.