I sing of love that has been sung before,
I tell the oldest tale of all the world;
But new or old, I sing yet more and more,
For passion's force within the heart once hurled,
Can but be stayed by passion's Potentate,
Nor can he his own innocents destroy.
And while I feel of love the sweetness great,
I nurse the pain as an impatient boy
The future, knowing not what grief must be :
Thus love exists by interchange of pain
With painful bliss, for both are given to me;
Love changing bliss to woe, and then again
Love's woe to bliss is changed, until at last
Love's passion conquereth, and pain is past.
I know great clouds are all around the sky;
I know great rocks are seen along the shore;
Waves terrible, I know, dash loud and high,
With deathful sound resounding more and more ;
I know the path is rugged from the bay ;
That sweetest flowers have still some hurtful thorn ;
To-morrow's storms I know are sure as day,
For certain woe is ours when we are born ;
That life within the soul uncertain burns ;
I know its battle unto blood for good.
All this and more than this I know, yet turns
My heart to where with thee alone I stood,
Watching day's glory resting on the sea;
And terrors fade as I draw breath from thee.
I love, and therefore silent I remain,
Because I love, no jealousy, is near;
I love! and love's expression can restrain,
And nothing gives to me who love a fear.
I love and all the loved one's joy is mine,
Though yielded it may be from others' love;
And Love, sweet Love, entirely, I am thine;
I place my
faith in power of thine to move,
And I will trust thee to the very end.
My love will live through each impulsive thought
That wayward fancy may for love's 'sake send.
Love is by instinct known, and found, not sought,
Yet love to strong faith ever yields at last,
And I so surely love, all doubt is past.
The sea is all unknown and dark to me,
Great blackness rests on rock and tree and field,
The sky above I only know to be, —
Both far and near, with heavy cloud for shield,
My heaven is vanquished by this dreary night,
And all along the coast and on the land,
This wretched time has spread its fearful blight,
That we should be o'erpowered on every hand,
Did not some kindly gleam in pity come ;—
Perhaps some blazing lamp upon the coast,
To tell the mariner of nearing home
When with the ocean's direful fury toss'd:
Thy face all want supplies by night and day,
In sunshine sweet,-in storm hope's tender ray.
In midst of dark and dreary days and nights,
In sad and faded autumn of the year,
When we recall those past and pure delights,
And they far off unwilling, draw not near,
But in their stead the sad wind only sighs
And dull rain presses on the fallen leaf :—
Then we cast down behold, with bright surprise,
The clearing sky, whilst far away flies grief,
To overtake the west wind and the rain ;—
And in the warmth we dwell with dear belief
This fairest time will never cease again ;—
But short, though soothing sweet, is this relief,
For soon
is gone the sun-cold mists draw near,
And love seems vanquished quite by trembling fear.
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