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1855
HIAWATHA'S DEPARTURE
(From The Song of Hiawatha)
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
HIAWATHA'S DEPARTURE -
BY the shore of Gitche Gumee
By the shining Big-Sea-Water
At the doorway of his wigwam
In the pleasant Summer morning
Hiawatha stood and waited.
All the air was full of freshness
All the earth was bright and joyous
And before himthrough the sunshine
Westward toward the neighboring forest
Passed in golden swarms the Ahmo
Passed the beesthe honey-makers
Burningsinging in the sunshine.
Bright above him shone the heavens
Level spread the lake before him;
From its bosom leaped the sturgeon
Sparklingflashing in the sunshine;
On its margin the great forest
Stood reflected in the water
Every tree-top had its shadow
Motionless beneath the water.
From the brow of Hiawatha
Gone was every trace of sorrow
As the fog from off the water
As the mist from off the meadow.
With a smile of joy and triumph
With a look of exultation
As of one who in a vision
Sees what is to bebut is not
Stood and waited Hiawatha.
Toward the sun his hands were lifted
Both the palms spread out against it
And between the parted fingers
Fell the sunshine on his features
Flecked with light his naked shoulders
As it falls and flecks an oak-tree
Through the rifted leaves and branches.
O'er the water floatingflying
Something in the hazy distance
Something in the mists of morning
Loomed and lifted from the water
Now seemed floatingnow seemed flying
Coming nearernearernearer.
Was it Shingebis the diver?
Or the pelicanthe Shada?
Or the heronthe Shuh-shuh-gah?
Or the white gooseWaw-be-wawa
With the water drippingflashing
From its glossy neck and feathers?
It was neither goose nor diver
Neither pelican nor heron
O'er the water floatingflying
Through the shining mist of morning
But a birch canoe with paddles
Risingsinking on the water
Drippingflashing in the sunshine;
And within it came a people
Form the distant land of Wabun
From the farthest realms of morning
Came the Black-Robe chiefthe Prophet
He the Priest of Prayerthe Pale-face
With his guides and his companions.
And the noble Hiawatha
With his hands aloft extended
Held aloft in sign of welcome
Waitedfull of exultation
Till the birch canoe with paddles
Grated on the shining pebbles
Stranded on the sandy margin
Till the Black-Robe chiefthe Pale-face
With the cross upon his bosom
Landed on the sandy margin.
Then the joyous Hiawatha
Cried aloud and spake in this wise:
"Beautiful is the sunO strangers
When you come so far to see us!
All our town in peace awaits you
All our doors stand open for you;
You shall enter all our wigwams
For the heart's right hand we give you.
"Never bloomed the earth so gayly
Never shone the sun so brightly
As to-day they shine and blossom
When you come so far to see us!
Never was our lake so tranquil
Nor so free from rocks and sand-bars;
For your birch canoe in passing
Has removed both rock and sand-bar.
"Never before had our tobacco
Such a sweet and pleasant flavor
Never the broad leaves of our cornfields
Were so beautiful to look on
As they seem to us this morning
When you come so far to see us!"
And the Black-Robe chief made answer
Stammered in his speech a little
Speaking words yet unfamiliar:
"Peace be with youHiawatha
Peace be with you and your people
Peace of prayerand peace of pardon
Peace of Christand joy of Mary!"
Then the generous Hiawatha
Led the strangers to his wigwam.
Seated them on skins of bison
Seated them on skins of ermine
And the carefulold Nokomis
Brought them food in bowls of bass-wood
Water brought in birchen dippers
And the calumetthe peace-pipe
Filled and lighted for their smoking
All the old men of the village
All the warriors of the nation
All the Jossakeedsthe prophets
The magiciansthe Wabenos
And the medicine-menthe Medas
Came to bid the strangers welcome;
"It is well" they said"O brothers
That you come so far to see us!"
In a circle round the doorway
With their pipes they sat in silence
Waiting to behold the strangers
Waiting to receive their message;
Till the Black-Robe chiefthe Pale-face
From the wigwam came to greet them
Stammering in his speech a little
Speaking words yet unfamiliar;
"It is well" they said"O brother
That you come so far to see us!"
Then the Black-Robe chiefthe prophet
Told his message to the people
Told the purport of his mission
Told them of the Virgin Mary
And her blessed Sonthe Saviour
How in distant lands and ages
He had lived on earth as we do;
How he fastedprayedand labored;
How the Jewsthe tribe accursed
Mocked himscourged himcrucified him;
How he rose from where they laid him
Walked again with his disciples
And ascended into heaven.
And the chiefs made answersaying:
"We have listened to your message
We have heard your words of wisdom
We will think on what you tell us.
It is well for usO brothers
That you come so far to see us!"
Then they rose up and departed
Each one homeward to his wigwam
To the young men and the women
Told the story of the strangers
Whom the Master of Life had sent them
From the shining land of Wabun.
Heavy with the heat and silence
Grew the afternoon of Summer;
With a drowsy sound the forest
Whispered round the sultry wigwam
With a sound of sleep the water
Rippled on the beach below it;
From the cornfields shrill and ceaseless
Sang the grasshopperPah-puk-keena;
And the guests of Hiawatha
Weary with the heat of Summer
Slumbered in the sultry wigwam.
Slowly o'er the simmering landscape
Fell the evening's dusk and coolness
And the long and level sunbeams
Shot their spears into the forest
Breaking through its shields of shadow
Rushed into each secret ambush
Searched each thicketdinglehollow;
Still the guests of Hiawatha
Slumbered in the silent wigwam.
From his place rose Hiawatha
Bade farewell to old Nokomis
Spake in whispersspake in this wise
Did not wake the gueststhat slumbered:
"I am goingO Nokomis
On a long and distant journey
To the portals of the Sunset
To the regions of the home-wind
Of the Northwest windKeewaydin.
But these guests I leave behind me
In your watch and ward I leave them;
See that never harm comes near them
See that never fear molests them
Never danger nor suspicion
Never want of food or shelter
In the lodge of Hiawatha!"
Forth into the village went he
Bade farewell to all the warriors
Bade farewell to all the young men
Spake persuadingspake in this wise:
"I am goingO my people
On a long and distant journey;
Many moons and many winters
Will have comeand will have vanished
Ere I come again to see you.
But my guests I leave behind me;
Listen to their words of wisdom
Listen to the truth they tell you
For the Master of Life has sent them
From the land of light and morning!"
On the shore stood Hiawatha
Turned and waved his hand at parting;
On the clear and luminous water
Launched his birch canoe for sailing
From the pebbles of the margin
Shoved it forth into the water;
Whispered to it"Westward! westward!"
And with speed it darted forward.
And the evening sun descending
Set the clouds on fire with redness
Burned the broad skylike a prairie
Left upon the level water
One long track and trail of splendor
Down whose streamas down a river
Westwardwestward Hiawatha
Sailed into the fiery sunset
Sailed into the purple vapors
Sailed into the dusk of evening.
And the people from the margin
Watched him floatingrisingsinking
Till the birch canoe seem lifted
High into that sea of splendor
Till it sank into the vapors
Like the new moon slowlyslowly
Sinking in the purple distance.
And they said"Farewell forever!"
Said"FarewellO Hiawatha!"
And the forestsdark and lonely
Moved through all their depths of darkness
Sighed"FarewellO Hiawatha!"
And the waves upon the margin
Risingrippling on the pebbles
Sobbed"FarewellO Hiawatha!"
And the heronthe Shuh-shuh-gah
From her haunts among the fen-lands
Screamed"FarewellO Hiawatha!"
Thus departed Hiawatha
Hiawatha the Beloved
In the glory of the sunset
In the purple mists of evening
To the regions of the home-wind
Of the Northwest wind Keewaydin
To the Islands of the Blessed
To the kingdom of Ponemah
To the land of the Hereafter! - -
THE END