Quicksilver Daydreams of Maria (1968 version)

[Verse 1]
Well, the diamond fades quickly when matched to the face of Maria
Ah the harps they sound empty when she lifts her lips to the sky
Ah the brown of her skin makes her hair seem a soft golden rainfall
That spills from the mountains to the bottomless depths of her eyes

[Verse 2]
She stands all around me, her hands slowly sifting the sunshine
All the laughter that lingered down deep 'neath her smilin' is free
Well, it spins and it twirls like a hummingbird lost in the morning
Caresses the south wind and silently sails to the sea

[Verse 3]
As softly she wanders, I desperately follow her footsteps
I chase after shadows that offer a trace of her sigh
They promise eternally that she lies hidden within them
But I find they've deceived me and sadly I bid them goodbye

[Verse 4]
So the serpent slides slowly away with his moments of laughter
And the the old washerwoman has finished her cleanin' and gone
The bamboo hangs heavy in the bondage of quicksilver daydreams
And a lonely child longingly looks for a place to belong