midnight
St. Hermes 's flickering fire , Robin Goodfellow 's dancing light , or the blue flame of the corpse-candle , which I saw flitting to the churchyard last week , was not so pretty a sight -- ha , ha ! You asked me for a song a moment ago -- you shall have one now without asking . '' And without waiting to consult the inclinations of his comrades , Peter broke into the following wild strain with all the fervor of a half-crazed improvisatore : THE CORPSE-CANDLE Lambere flamma ταφος et circum funera pasci . Through the midnight gloom did a pale blue light To the churchyard mirk wing its lonesome flight : -- Thrice it floated those old walls round -- Thrice it paused -- till the grave it found . Over the grass-green sod it glanced , Over the fresh-turned earth it danced , Like a torch in the night-breeze quivering -- Never was seen so gay a thing ! Never was seen so blithe a sight As the midnight dance of that blue light ! Now what of that pale blue flame dost know ?