Classic Poem

Would I were a cloud in the burning west,
In the sunset bright,
To fade into darkness and be at rest,
Lost in the night.

Would I were a lily, to bloom, to grow,
To die in the heat.
Life would be very short, I know,
But 'twould be sweet.

Would I were a dewdrop to shine in the sun,
For a moment fair,
To sparkle and vanish, when day has begun,
Dissolved into air.

But why should I wish for what never can be,
Tho' weary the years?
Life seems so very long, ah me!
So full of tears.