To die－takes just a little while－1
They say it doesn't hurt－
It's only fainter－by degrees－
And then－it's out of sight－
A darker Ribbon－for a Day－5
A Crape upon the Hat－
And then the pretty sunshine comes－
And helps us to forget－
The absent－mystic－creature－9
That but for love of us－
Had gone to sleep－that soundest time－
Without the weariness－
They say it doesn't hurt－
It's only fainter－by degrees－
And then－it's out of sight－
A darker Ribbon－for a Day－5
A Crape upon the Hat－
And then the pretty sunshine comes－
And helps us to forget－
The absent－mystic－creature－9
That but for love of us－
Had gone to sleep－that soundest time－
Without the weariness－
(F.315/J.255)
[1] die, while:: to disappear a while, the short duration of eclipse.
[2] it doesn't hurt:: a hint on the other meaning of the death.
[3] fainter by degrees:: the nature of eclipse.
[4] out of sight:: the sun is out of sight.
[5, 6] darker Ribbon, crape:: to protect the eyes when observing the eclipse.
[7] sunshine comes:: a hint on the eclipse.
[9] mystic creature:: the dragon, that eats the Sun and Moon, in Chinese or Norse legend.
Could there be any foundation in meteorological fact for the wild Norse legend of the dragon that is one day to devour Sun and Moon? I looked eagerly up in my mental questioning, when my eye lighted suddenly on a spider dangling at the end of a rope of his own spinning across the inner end of my telescope! The Sun had been enticed into my coach-house to be eclipsed by a miserable insect! ─ Punch, Volumes 34-35 (1858)
In China (whatever European astronomers may assert to the contrary) an eclipse is caused by a great dragon eating up the sun. ─ The Bentley Ballads (1858)