ÆäÀÌÁö À̹ÌÁö
PDF
ePub

'tis like a rose, which in the dawn
the air with gentle breath doth fawn
and whisper too, but in the hours
of night is sullied with smart showers.
Life spent is wish'd for but in vain,
nor can past years come back again:
happy the Man who in this vale
redeems his time, shutting out all
thoughts of the world, whose longing eyes
are ever pilgrims in the skies,

that views his bright home, and desires
to shine amongst those glorious fires.

H. VAUGHAN

284

ADVERSA ÆQVO ANIMo ferenda esse

F weeping eyes could wash away

[ocr errors]

those evils they mourn for night and day,
then glad I to cure my fears

with my best jewels would buy tears.
But, as dew feeds the growing corn,
so crosses that are grown forlorn
increase with grief, tears make tears way,
and cares kept up keep cares in pay.
That wretch whom Fortune finds to fear
and melting still into a tear,

she strikes more boldly; but a face
silent and dry doth her amaze.

Then leave thy tears, and tedious tale
of what thou dost misfortunes call:
what thou by weeping think'st to ease,
doth by thy passion but increase,
hard things to soft will never yield,
'tis the dry eye that wins the field;
a noble patience quells the spite
of Fortune, and disarms her quite.

H. VAUGHAN

285

IF

THE WARRIOR TO HIS DEAD BRIDE

F in the fight my arm was strong
and forced my foes to yield,

if conquering and unhurt I came

back from the battle-field

it is because thy prayers have been
my safeguard and my shield.

Thy heart, my own, still beats in Heaven
with the same love divine

that made thee stoop to such a soul,
so hard, so stern, as mine-
my eyes have learnt to weep, beloved,
since last they looked on thine.

I hear thee murmur words of peace
through the dim midnight air,

and a calm falls from the angel stars,

and soothes my great despair—

the Heavens themselves look brighter, love,
since thy sweet soul is there.

A. A. PROCTER

286 TO THE JEWS TO MOURN for their DESTRUCTION

CONSID

ONSIDER ye and call for the mourning women that they may come;

and send for cunning women, that they may come: and let them make haste,

and take up a wailing for us,

that our eyes may run down with tears,

and our eyelids gush out with waters.

For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion,

'How are we spoiled, we are greatly confounded,
because we have forsaken the land,

because our dwellings have cast us out!'

Yet hear the word of the Lord, O ye women,
and let your ear receive the word of his mouth,
and teach your daughters wailing,

and every one her neighbour lamentation.
For death is come up into our windows,
to cut off the children from without

and the young men from the streets:
the carcases of men shall fall as dung
upon the open field,

and as the handful after the harvestman,
and none shall gather them.

JEREMIAH

287

288

DIRGE AT SEA

LEEP!-we give thee to the wave,

thou shalt find a noble grave:
fare thee well!

Sleep! thy billowy field is won,
proudly may the funeral gun,
midst the hush at set of sun,
boom thy knell!

Lonely, lonely is thy bed,

never there may flower be shed,
marble reared, or brother's head
bowed to weep.

Yet thy record on the sea,
borne through battle high and free,
long the red-cross flag shall be;
sleep! oh, sleep!

BRIGHTLY HAST THOU FLED

BRIGH

RIGHTLY, brightly hast thou fled,
one grief had bowed thy head!
brightly didst thou part!

with thy young thoughts pure from spot,

with thy fond love wasted not,

with thy bounding heart.

Ne'er by sorrow to be wet,

calmly smiles thy pale cheek yet,

ere with dust o'erspread:

lilies ne'er by tempest blown,

white rose which no stain hath known,
be about thee she!

So we give thee to the earth,
and the primrose shall have birth

o'er thy gentle head;

thou that, like a dewdrop borne
on a sudden breeze of morn,

brightly thus hast fled!

F. HEMANS

F. HEMANS

289

290

N

DIRGE OF A CHILD

O bitter tears for thee be shed,
blossom of being! seen and gone!
with flowers alone we strew thy bed,
O blest departed One!

whose all of life, a rosy ray,

blushed into dawn and passed away.

We rear no marble o'er thy tomb;
no sculptured image there shall mourn:
ah! fitter far the vernal bloom

such dwelling to adorn.

Fragrance and flowers and dews must be
the only emblems meet for thee.

Thy grave shall be a blessed shrine,
adorned with Nature's brightest wreath;
each glowing season shall combine
its incense there to breathe;

and oft, upon the midnight air,

shall viewless harps be murmuring there.

[ocr errors]

TO WOMAN

THOU by heaven ordained to be
arbitress of man's destiny!

from thy sweet lip one tender sigh,

one glance from thine approving eye,
can raise or bend him at thy will,

F. HEMANS

to virtue's noblest flights or worst extremes of ill!

Be angel-minded! and despise

thy sex's little vanities;

and let not passion's lawless tide

thy better purpose sweep aside;

for woe awaits the evil hour

that tends to man's annoy thy heaven-entrusted power.

Woman! 'tis thine to cleanse his heart

from every gross, unholy part;

thine, in domestic solitude,

to win him to be wise and good;

his pattern guide and friend to be,

to give him back the heaven he forfeited for thee.

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

But she to-morrow will return,
Venus, be thou to-morrow great;
thy myrtles strew, thy odours burn;
and meet thy favourite nymph in state.
Kind goddess, to no other powers
let us to-morrow's blessings own:
thy darling loves shall guide the hours,
and all the day be thine alone.

H. F. LYTE

« ÀÌÀü°è¼Ó »