Erewhile to my desire so sweet
were tears
Their tenderness refined my
else rude song,
And made me wake and watch
the livelong nights;
But sorrow now to me is worse
than death,
Since lost for aye that look
of modest joy,
The lofty subject of my lowly
rhyme!
Love in those bright eyes
to my ready rhyme
Gave a fair theme, now changed,
alas! to tears;
With grief remembering that
time of joy,
My changed thoughts issue
find in other song,
Evermore thee beseeching,
pallid Death,
To snatch and save me from
these painful nights!
Sleep has departed from my
anguish’d nights,
Music is absent from my rugged
rhyme,
Which knows not now to sound
of aught but death;
Its notes, so thrilling once,
all turn’d to tears,
Love knows not in his reign
such varied song,
As full of sadness now as
then of joy!
Man lived not then so crown’d
as I with joy,
Man lives not now such wretched
days and nights;
And my full festering grief
but swells the song
Which from my bosom draws
the mournful rhyme;
I lived in hope, who now live
but in tears,
Nor against death have other
hope save death!
Me Death in her has kill’d;
and only Death
Can to my sight restore that
face of joy,
Which pleasant made to me
e’en sighs and tears,
Balmy the air, and dewy soft
the nights,
Wherein my choicest thoughts
I gave to rhyme
While Love inspirited my feeble
song!
Would that such power as erst
graced Orpheus’ song
Were mine to win my Laura
back from death,
As he Eurydice without a rhyme;
Then would I live in best
excess of joy;
Or, that denied me, soon may
some sad night
Close for me ever these twin
founts of tears!
Love! I have told with
late and early tears,
My grievous injuries in doleful
song;
Not that I hope from thee
less cruel nights;
And therefore am I urged to
pray for death,
Which hence would take me
but to crown with joy,
Where lives she whom I sing
in this sad rhyme!
If so high may aspire my weary
rhyme,
To her now shelter’d
safe from rage and tears,
Whose beauties fill e’en
heaven with livelier joy,
Well would she recognise my
alter’d song,
Which haply pleased her once,
ere yet by death
Her days were cloudless made
and dark my nights!
O ye, who fondly sigh for
better nights,
Who listen to love’s
will, or sing in rhyme,
Pray that for me be no delay
in death,
The port of misery, the goal
of tears,
But let him change for me
his ancient song,
Since what makes others sad
fills me with joy!
Ay! for such joy, in one or
in few nights,
I pray in rude song and in
anguish’d rhyme,
That soon my tears may ended
be in death!