There be none of Beauty’s daughters
With a magic like thee;
And like music on the waters
Is thy sweet voice to me:
When, as if its sound were causing
The charmed ocean’s pausing,
The waves lie still and gleaming,
And the lull’d winds seem dreaming:
And the midnight moon is weaving
Her bright chain o’er the deep,
Whose breast is gently heaving
As an infant’s asleep:
So the spirit bows before thee
To listen and adore thee;
With a full but soft emotion,
Like the swell of summer’s ocean.
Summary
Lord George Gordon Byron came from a noble family, but his childhood days were not happy. He went to Trinity College Cambridge. He published his first collection of poems in1808. Byron’s relationship with his half-sister (step sister) Augusta Leigh, gave rise to scandal and gossip.It is said that this poem was written by Byron in honour of Augusta’s beauty.
Byron feels that Beauty’s daughters do not have the charm of Augusta. Augusta is very beautiful and Beauty’s daughters do not have the charm that Augusta has. Augusta’s beauty has powers of attracting people to her. Her voice is extremely musical. When water flows, one notices that water creates its own music. Augusta’s voice is as soothing as the music of the waters. The very oceans seem bewitched by the sound of music. (Here there is a double meaning. Augusta’s voice is extremely musical and one is taken in or hypnotised by her voice.The music of the waters has its own charm, and one can get carried away by it. But in any case the music of Augusta’s voice and the sound of music of the waters both are very enticing) The very waves of the ocean are calmed down by the musical quality of Augusta’s voice. Even the minds are lulled to sleep on hearing this music. The winds are put to sleep, and in their sleep,the winds seen to be dreaming.
Since the waves of the ocean are gently moving, it seems that the moonlight falling on the waves is also moving. The light of the moon seems to be weaving a bright chain round the ocean. The moon light seems to have encircled the ocean. As the waves keep rising and falling,it appears that the ocean is breathing. The ocean’s gentle breathing can be compared with the breathing of an infant (a baby) who is fast asleep.
The spirit of the poet and also the spirit of the world bows before the beauty of Augusta. The spirit adores you, worships you and loves to listen to the music of your voice. The heart (of the poet /admirer) is full of emotions which are extremely tender and soft. Just as the oceans during the summer months swell due to ice melting, similarly does the heart of the poets well with soft emotions for his beloved. These emotions are extremely soft and tender. (Note the poet thinks that his beloved is the most beautiful lady in the world and no one can be compared to her beauty.)