Classic Poem

— Pale Goddess of the witching hour;
— — Blest Contemplation's placid friend;
— Oft in my solitary bow'r,
I mark thy lucid beam
— — From thy crystal car descend,
Whitening the spangled heath, and limpid sapphire stream.

— And oft, amidst the shades of night
— I court thy undulating light;
— — When Fairies dance around the verdant ring,
— — Or frisk beside the bubbling spring,
When the thoughtless Shepherd's song
— — Echoes thro' the silent air,
— — As he pens his fleecy care,
Or plods with saunt'ring gait, the dewy meads along.

Chaste Orb! as thro' the vaulted sky
— — Feath'ry clouds transparent sail;
— When thy languid, weeping eye,
— — Sheds its soft tears upon the painted vale;
— As I ponder o'er the floods,
— Or tread with listless step, th'embow'ring woods,
— O, let thy transitory beam,
— Soothe my sad mind, with Fancy's airy dream.

— Wrapt in Reflection, let me trace
— O'er the vast ethereal space,
— Stars, whose twinkling fires illume
— Dark-brow'd Night's obtrusive gloom;
— Where across the concave wide;
— Flaming Meteors swiftly glide;
— Or along the milky way,
— Vapours shoot a silvery ray;
And as I mark, thy faint reclining head,
— Sinking on Ocean's pearly bed;
Let Reason tell my soul, thus all things fade.

— The Seasons change, the " garish Sun "
— When Day's burning car hath run
— — Its fiery course, no more we view,
— While o'er the mountain's golden head,
— — Streak'd with tints of crimson hue,
— — Twilight's filmy curtains spread,
Stealing o'er Nature's face, a desolating shade.

— Yon musky Flow'r, that scents the earth;
The Sod, that gave its odours birth;
— The Rock, that breaks the torrent's force;
— The Vale, that owns its wand'ring course;
— The woodlands where the vocal throng
— Trill the wild melodious song;
— Thirsty desarts, sands that glow,
— Mountains, cap'd with flaky snow;
— Luxuriant groves, enamell'd fields,
— All, all, prolific Nature yields,
— Alike shall end; the sensate Heart,
— — With all its passions, all its fire,
— Touch'd by Fate's unerring dart,
— — Shall feel its vital strength expire;
— Those eyes, that beam with Friendship's ray,
— — And glance ineffable delight,
— Shall shrink from Life's translucid day,
And close their fainting orbs, in Death's impervious night.

— Then what remains for mortal pow'r;
— — But Time's dull journey to beguile;
— To deck with joy, the winged hour,
— — To meet its sorrows with a patient smile;
And when the toilsome pilgrimage shall end,
To greet the tyrant, as a welcome friend.

— Pale Goddess of the witching hour;
— — Blest Contemplation's placid friend;
— Oft in my solitary bow'r,
I mark thy lucid beam
— — From thy crystal car descend,
Whitening the spangled heath, and limpid sapphire stream.

— And oft, amidst the shades of night
— I court thy undulating light;
— — When Fairies dance around the verdant ring,
— — Or frisk beside the bubbling spring,
When the thoughtless Shepherd's song
— — Echoes thro' the silent air,
— — As he pens his fleecy care,
Or plods with saunt'ring gait, the dewy meads along.

Chaste Orb! as thro' the vaulted sky
— — Feath'ry clouds transparent sail;
— When thy languid, weeping eye,
— — Sheds its soft tears upon the painted vale;
— As I ponder o'er the floods,
— Or tread with listless step, th'embow'ring woods,
— O, let thy transitory beam,
— Soothe my sad mind, with Fancy's airy dream.

— Wrapt in Reflection, let me trace
— O'er the vast ethereal space,
— Stars, whose twinkling fires illume
— Dark-brow'd Night's obtrusive gloom;
— Where across the concave wide;
— Flaming Meteors swiftly glide;
— Or along the milky way,
— Vapours shoot a silvery ray;
And as I mark, thy faint reclining head,
— Sinking on Ocean's pearly bed;
Let Reason tell my soul, thus all things fade.

— The Seasons change, the " garish Sun "
— When Day's burning car hath run
— — Its fiery course, no more we view,
— While o'er the mountain's golden head,
— — Streak'd with tints of crimson hue,
— — Twilight's filmy curtains spread,
Stealing o'er Nature's face, a desolating shade.

— Yon musky Flow'r, that scents the earth;
The Sod, that gave its odours birth;
— The Rock, that breaks the torrent's force;
— The Vale, that owns its wand'ring course;
— The woodlands where the vocal throng
— Trill the wild melodious song;
— Thirsty desarts, sands that glow,
— Mountains, cap'd with flaky snow;
— Luxuriant groves, enamell'd fields,
— All, all, prolific Nature yields,
— Alike shall end; the sensate Heart,
— — With all its passions, all its fire,
— Touch'd by Fate's unerring dart,
— — Shall feel its vital strength expire;
— Those eyes, that beam with Friendship's ray,
— — And glance ineffable delight,
— Shall shrink from Life's translucid day,
And close their fainting orbs, in Death's impervious night.

— Then what remains for mortal pow'r;
— — But Time's dull journey to beguile;
— To deck with joy, the winged hour,
— — To meet its sorrows with a patient smile;
And when the toilsome pilgrimage shall end,
To greet the tyrant, as a welcome friend.