Suddenly there came to me br The music of a mighty sea br That on a bare and iron shore br Thundered with a deeper roar br Than all the tides that leap and run br With us below the real sun: br Because the place was far away, br Above, beyond our homely day, br Neighbouring close the frozen clime br Where out of all the woods of time, br Amid the frightful seraphim br The fierce, cold eyes of Godhead gleam, br Revolving hate and misery br And wars and famines yet to be. br And in my dreams I stood alone br Upon a shelf of weedy stone, br And saw before my shrinking eyes br The dark, enormous breakers rise, br And hover and fall with deafening thunder br Of thwarted foam that echoed under br The ledge, through many a cavern drear, br With hollow sounds of wintry fear. br And through the waters waste and grey, br Thick-strown for many a league away, br Out of the toiling sea arose br Many a face and form of those br Thin, elemental people dear br Who live beyond our heavy sphere. br And all at once from far and near, br They all held out their arms to me, br Crying in their melody, br “Leap in! Leap in and take thy fill br Of all the cosmic good and ill, br Be as the Living ones that know br Enormous joy, enormous woe, br Pain beyond thought and fiery bliss: br For all thy study hunted this, br On wings of magic to arise, br And wash from off thy filmed eyes br The cloud of cold mortality, br To find the real life and be br As are the children of the deep! br Be bold and dare the glorious leap, br Or to thy shame, go, slink again br Back to the narrow ways of men.” br So all these mocked me as I stood br Striving to wake because I feared the flood.