Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

6.

Star of the brave! thy ray is pale,

And darkness must again prevail!

But, oh thou Rainbow of the free!
Our tears and blood must flow for thee.

When thy bright promise fades away,

Our life is but a load of clay.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

NAPOLEON'S FAREWELL.

[FROM THE FRENCH.]

1

1.

FAREWELL to the Land, where the gloom of my

Glory?

Arose and o'ershadowed the earth with her name

She abandons me now,-but the page of her story, The brightest or blackest, is filled with my fame.

I have warred with a world which vanquished me

only

When the meteor of Conquest allured me too far;

I have coped with the nations which dread me thus

lonely,

The last single Captive to millions in war!

2.

Farewell to thee, France!-when thy diadem

crowned me,

I made thee the gem and the wonder of earth,

But thy weakness decrees I should leave as I found

thee,

Decayed in thy glory, and sunk in thy worth.

Oh! for the veteran hearts that were wasted

In strife with the storm, when their battles were

won

Then the Eagle, whose gaze in that moment was

blasted,

Had still soared with eyes fixed on victory's sun!

3.

Farewell to thee, France !-but when Liberty rallies Once more in thy regions, remember me thenThe violet still grows in the depth of thy valleys; Though withered, thy tears will unfold it againYet, yet, I may baffle the hosts that surround us, And yet may thy heart leap awake to my voiceThere are links which must break in the chain that

has bound us,

Then turn thee and call on the Chief of thy choice!

TO SAMUEL ROGERS, ESQ.

ABSENT or present, still to thee,

My friend, what magic spells belong!

As all can tell, who share, like me,

In turn thy converse, and thy song.

But when the dreaded hour shall come

By Friendship ever deemed too nigh, And "MEMORY" o'er her Druid's tomb

Shall weep that aught of thee can die,

« FöregåendeFortsätt »