Howe'er unblest, My shade would rest While list'ning to that tone;Enough 'twould be To hear from thee, "Peace, peace to him that's gone !" "TIS ALL FOR THEE. Ir life for me hath joy or light, 'Tis all from thee, My thoughts by day, my dreams by night, My heart, even ere I saw those eyes, Kept pure till then from other ties, 'Twas all for thee, for only thee. It lived for thee, it lived for thee. When Fame would call me to her heights, And dim would shine her proudest lights, "Tis all for thee, for only thee. THE SONG OF THE OLDEN TIME.⚫ THERE'S a song of the olden time, Or one that hangs so round my heart, Falling sad o'er the ear, Like the dream of some village chime, And when all of this life is gone,- Autumn's sere and faded bough,— If in that parting hour I hear The same sweet notes, and die away,— To that song of the olden time, Breathed like Hope's farewell strain, To say, in some brighter clime, Life and youth will shine again! ROSE OF THE DESERT. ROSE of the Desert! thou, whose blushing ray, In this song, which is one of the many set to music by myself, the occasional lawlessness of the metre arises, I need hardly say, from the pecular structure of the air. WAKE THEE, MY DEAR. WAKE thee, my dear--thy dreaming Till darker hours will keep; While such a moon is beaming, 'Tis wrong tow'rd Heaven to sleep. Moments there are we number, Moments of pain and care, Which to oblivion's slumber Gladly the wretch would spare. But now-who'd think of dreaming When Love his watch should keep? While such a moon is beaming, "Tis wrong tow'rd Heaven to sleep. If e'er the Fates should sever THE BOY OF THE ALPS. While the hid torrent moans below. Through the vales yonder! 'Tis the huge av'lanche downward cast; From rock to rock Rebounds the shock. But courage, boy! the danger's past. Tread the glacier over, Safe shalt thou reach thy home at last. On, ere light forsake thee, O'er yon ice-bridge lies the way! Though 'twill melt in morning's ray.' Hark, that dread howling! "Tis the wolf prowling, Scent of thy track the foe hath got; FOR THEE ALONE. For thee alone I brave the boundless deep, To thee alone, to thee alone. Though future scenes present to Fancy's eye To win thy smile, I speed from shore to shore, While Hope's sweet voice is heard in every blast Still whisp'ring on, that when some years are o'er, One bright reward shall crown my toil at last, Thy smile alone, thy smile alone, Oh place beside the transport of that hour All earth can boast of fair, of rich, and bright, Wealth's radiant mines, the lofty thrones of powerThen ask where first thy lover's choice would light? On thee alone, on thee alone. HER LAST WORDS, AT PARTING. HER last words, at parting, how can I forget? Deep treasured through life, in my heart they sha tay; Like music, whose charm in the soul lingers yet, When its sounds from the ear have long melted awa.. Let Fortune assail me, her threat'nings are vain ; Those still-breathing words shall my talisman be"Remember, in absence, in sorrow, and pain, There's one heart, unchanging, that beats but for thee." These words shall my well in the wilderness be- SONG OF HERCULES TO HIS DAUGHTER.* "I've been, oh, sweet daughter, To fountain and sea, To seek in their water Some bright gem for thee, The sea-nymph I've courted Still sought I, around, That gem, with whose splendor And see, while I'm speaking, And hallowed the hour, Which saw thus young Beauty Embellished by Power. Founded on the fable reported by Arrian (in Indicis) of Hercules having searched the Indian Ocean, to find the pearl with which he adorned his daughter Pandæa. LOVE'S VICTORY. SING to Love-for, oh, 'twas he Hail to Love, to mighty Love, See his wings, like amethyst Angel forms beside him run; While unnumbered lips repeat "Love's victory is won!" Hail to Love, to mighty Love, &i. LET'S TAKE THIS WORLD AS SOME WIDE LET's take this world as some wide scene, Bright spots where we should love to stay; And away we speed, away, away. And, smiling, wait a sunnier hour. So shall we reach at last that Fall Nor even that hour shall want its charms, THE HOMEWARD MARCH. BE still, my heart: I hear them come: Those sounds announce my lover near: The march that brings our warriors home Proclaims he'll soon be here. Hark, the distant tread, O'er the mountain's head, While hills and dales repeat the sound; And the forest deer Stand still to hear, As those echoing steps ring round. Be still, my heart, I hear them come, But hark, more faint the footsteps grow, Like sounds in a dream, The footsteps seem, As down the hills they die away; Now fades like a funeral lay. 'Tis past, 'tis o'er-hush, heart, thy pain! And though not here, alas! they come, Rejoice for those, to whom that strain Brings sons and lovers home. THE DREAM OF HOME. WHO has not felt how sadly sweet When far o'er sea or land we roam ? To greener shores our bark may come; But far more bright, more dear than all, That dream of home, that dream of home. Ask of the sailor youth when far His light bark bounds o'er ocear.'s foam, What charms him most, when evening's star Smiles o'er the wave? to dream of home. Fond thoughts of absent friends and loves At that sweet hour around him come; His heart's best joy, where'er he roves, That dream of home, that dream of home. THEY TELL ME THOU’RT THE FAVORED THEY tell me thou'rt the favored guest, No voice like thine to breathe the song; Alas! alas! how diff'rent flows With thee and me the time away! Not that I wish thee sad-Heaven knows- I only know, that without thee Do I thus haste to hall and bower, CALM BE THY SLEEP. Thine all the bliss, and mine the pain! THE EXILE. NIGHT waneth fast, the morning star To him whose home is far away. Oh, not at hour so chill and bleak, Let thoughts of me come o'er thy breast; But of the lost one think and speak, When summer suns sink calm to rest. Shall bring me o'er the sunset seas, STILL WHEN DAYLIGHT. I used to hear, while light was falling, Mournfully at distance calling. Ah! once how blest that maid would come, And through the night those sounds repeating, Joyously his light bark greeting. But, one sad night, when winds were high, No, never more her lover. And still that sad dream loath to leave, THE SUMMER WEBS. THE summer webs that float and shine, It tells me every cloud is past Which lately seemed to lour; With light thus round, within, above, It seems as if life's brilliant sun To make this hour its brightest one, THE FANCY FAIR. COME, maids and youths, for here we sell Or poets sing, or lovers swear, Here eyes are made like stars to shine, As fashions change in everything, We've goods to suit each season's air, And endless loves for summer wear- We've reputations white as snow, That long will last, if used with care, Nay, safe through all life's journey go, If packed and marked as "brittle ware"Just purchased at the Fancy Fair. DAOU WOULDST HAVE ME SING AND PLAY. Ir thou wouldst have me sing and play, First take this time-worn lute away, And bring one freshly strung. Call back the time when pleasure's sigh But how is this? though new the lute, If thou wilt call the slumb'ring strain, Though time have frozen the tuneful stream One look from thee, like summer's bean, Then give, oh give, that wak'ning ray Thy bard again will sing and play, As once he played and sung. MIND NOT THOUGH DAYLIGHT. MIND not though daylight around us is breaking Who'd think now of sleeping when morn's but just waking? Be all for one hour in the gay dance forgot. THEY MET BUT ONCE. Hath absence, time, or grief had power They've seen the suns of other skies, On other shores have sought delight; Of Love's young hopes they knew; Sweet dream of youth! oh, ne'er again For, Youth, the spell was only thine; They left so smooth and smiling then, BEAUTY AND SONG. To his loved Rose:- Then from the green recess Thus still let Song attend Woman's bright way: Thus still let woman lend Light to the ray. Like stars, through heaven's sea, CHILD'S SONG. FROM A MASQUE. I HAVE a garden of my own, Shining with flowers of every hue; I loved it dearly while alone, But I shall love it more with you: And there the golden bees shall come, In summer-time at break of morn, And wake us with their busy hum Around the Siha's fragrant thorn. I have a fawn from Aden's land, On leafy buds and berries nurst; And you shall feed him from your hand Though he may start with fear at first. And I will lead you where he lies For shelter in the noontide heat; And you may touch his sleeping eyes, And feel his little silv'ry feet. THE HALCYON HANGS O'ER OCEAN. THE halcyon hangs o'er ocean, When we no more can smile; THE WORLD WAS HUSHED. THE world was hushed, the moon above Sailed through ether slowly; When, near the casement of my love, "Awake, awake, how canst thou sleep? The field I seek to-morrow Is one where man hath fame to reap, "Let battle's field be what it may," Thus spoke a voice replying, "Think not thy love, while thou'rt away, Will here sit idly sighing. No-woman's soul, if not for fame, For love can brave all danger!" Then forth from out the casement came A plumed and armed stranger. A stranger? No: 'twas she, the maid, THE TWO LOVES. THERE are two loves, the poet sings, With nat through clouds above we soar; With Loth, perchance, may lose our way :Then, tell me which, Tell me which shail we adore? The one, when tempted down from air, Nor lingers long, nor oft will dare His wing within the wave to dip. While, plunging deep and long beneath, Tell me which shall we adore ? The boy of heaven, even while he lies For something happier still to come. With this bright world to dream of more, Sees all his heaven on Beauty's breast:Then, tell me which, Tell me which shall we adore ? The maid who heard the poet sing These twin-desires of earth and sky, To choose the other fondly loath, Oh, ask not which-we'll worship both. Th' extremes of each thus taught to shun, With hearts and souls between them given, When weary of this earth with one, We'll with the other wing to heaven." Thus pledged the maid her vow of bliss; And while one Love wrote down the oath, The other sealed it with a kiss; And Heaven looked on, Heaven looked on, and hallowed both. THE LEGEND OF PUCK THE FAIRY. WOULDST know what tricks, by the pale moonlight, Are played by me, the merry little Sprite, Who wing through air from the camp to the court, From king to clown, and of all make sport; Singing, I am the Sprite Of the merry midnight, Who laugh at weak mortals, and love the moonlight. To a miser's bed, where he snoring slept, And dreamt of his cash, I slyly crept; Chink, chink o'er his pillow like money I rang, I saw through the leaves, in a damsel's bower: While a bard sat inditing an ode to his love, man! Of his lady's eyes, while away I ran, Singing, I am the Sprite, &c. WHEN THOU ART NIGH. But joy be where thou art? |