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And looking at me with sad, wise eyes,
you spoke your silent words, saying,

"T he first sorrow is the sorrow
of a strong silver bird,
who seeing the crystal image,
knows that he must follow.
T he second sorrow is the sorrow
of a bending, iohite-haired man,
who feeble, stumbling, and old,
is no longer able to return."
But I still a bride in a thousand ways
understood neither your words nor your sorrow.
I understood only the sweet sounds of the sea
and the gold of the sun and, the sand.
I clutched the blue plums to my breast
and sang songs of love to you.
But your sadness grew stronger and deeper,
and the River of Two Sorrows seemed to have
been born in your eyes.
Then you built a boat-a small silver boat;
and still I did not understand.
You stood before me and bowed very low;
then you set sail upon the River of Two Sorrows.
And as I watched the sails of your small silver boat
fade away in the mists of the river-
it seemed that the sails were the wings of a bird,
the wings of a silver bird.

A nd now many days have passed-
I could not tell you how many,
for the sound of the sea makes the hours disappear;

but I know that the days are long.

And I in my loneliness grow wiser;
at last I understand:
When you first went away I stood on the shore,

waiting for a wise king to return
on silent silver wings.
Now I wait only for an old white-haired man
to come stumbling back to the sea.

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