Classic Poem

Ah! once I thought I loved the rose
And once I loved the sky,
Its calm yet passionate repose,
Its blue eternity,—
But now I love thy lips and eyes,
Thy beauty I adore,
I worshipped flowers and summer skies
But thee I worship more.

I know not whether love is pain;
It sometimes brings despair:
Then blooms the summer rose in vain;
In vain it scents the air.
If thou dost wrap my soul in doubt
And bid bright hope fly far,
Though all night's countless stars shine out
I never see one star.

And yet with pain I would not part,
Not even with despair,
If only I may win'thine heart
And find my solace there.
A thousand faces meet my eyes,
And yet I see but one,—
As silent leagues of starlit skies
Dream only of the sun.