The Children Dancing

Away, sad thoughts, and teasing Perplexities, away!

Let other blood go freezing,

We will be wise and gay.

For here is all heart-easing,

An ecstasy at play.

The children dancing, dancing,

Light upon happy feet,

Both eye and heart entrancing Mingle, escape, and meet;

Come joyous-eyed and advancing Or floatingly retreat.

Now slow, now swifter treading Their paces timed and true,

An instant poised, then threading A maze of printless clue,

Their motions smoothly wedding To melody anew,

They sway in chime, and scatter In looping circles; they Are Music's airy matter,

And their feet move, the way The raindrops shine and patter On tossing flowers in May.

As if those flowers were singing For joy of the clean air,

As if you saw them springing To dance the breeze, so fair The lissom bodies swinging,

So light the flung-back hair.

And through the mind enchanted A happy river goes By its own young carol haunted And bringing where it flows What all in the world has wanted And who in this world knows?