th blue,
The green bright sea gave jewels to the sun,
And all the air was love that doting earth
Breathed to the sun, her lover.

In the midst
Two radiant gods with brave, wide eyes, and hair
Crowned with the beatific spring, they stood,--
Taka, the fair, and young Malua, fierce,
Passionate-hearted youth, and passionate youth;
Faltering before her innocent gaze, he cried,
"Dare I adore?" so crystal clear she seemed
A silver dewdrop in the rose of dawn.
And Taka, trembling: "How can he be mine,
So strong, so fair, a god with heart of flame!"
And so they strove against their hearts and lived
Long lives of hope and fear and love's sweet pain
Within a heart-beat. But the time was near!

There in mid-forest, rimmed with leaves jade green,
All singing in the sun,--as deep and brown
As Taka's eyes,--the pool disclosed itself.
Across the clear light of the morning, showers
Of fiery jewels shone against the trees,--
Rubies, bright sapphires, purple amethyst,
Topaz, fierce opal, grass-green emeralds
Flitting and darting;--were they only birds!
Flower made bird or bird made flower, they seemed
To eyes newborn upon a world of love.
The air was heavy with strange scents, the old
Familiar perfumes seemed so rarely sweet,
The jasmine was the very breath of love.
And when they rested on a flowery bank,
And Taka wove the red hibiscus wreath
To crown Malua, as he gazed at her,
Stretched at her feet, his chin upon his hand,
The whole long world had waited but for this.

(_Weaving the rosy wreath._)
"My dream was of thee at sunrise
With light steps over the sea.
Lonely upon the mountain,
I woke from my sleep for thee."

(_Weaving the rosy wreath._)
"The wild dark rocks were round me,
The flowery maids were gone;
I woke, thou--bright as lightning
Beside me--waited the dawn.

"Weaving the rosy wreath,
I weave my life in a dream.
Thou camest through dawn on the sea,
Red flower on a sunlit stream."
(_Weaving the rosy wreath._)

She laid the scarlet wreath upon his hair.
"My King," she whispered, and Malua's eyes--
Boy, spite of all his battles--filled with tears
Wrung from his burdened heart. He caught her hand;
The lake was hushed with noon-tide, far away
A fond bird starred the forest with a cry.
Then Taka turned, and in her eyes a light--
The light of summer moon in water still--
And in her face the glamour of moon and star,
On which the crimson