From Love, from angry Love's inclement reign
I pass awhile to Friendship's equal skies;
Thou, generous Maid! reliev'st my partial pain,
And eheer'st the victim of another's eyes.

'Tis thou, Melissa, thou deserv'st my care;
How can my will and reason disagree?
How can my passion live beneath despair?
How can my bosom sigh for aught but thee?

Ah! dear Melissa! pleased with thee to rove,
My soul has yet survived its dreariest time;
Ill can I bear the various clime of Love!
Love is a pleasing, but a various clime.

Is life a dream, and death a sleep, and love
The only thing immortal? Who would care
To be received into the ambient air,
Or traverse æther like a cloud, above
The happy homes of mortals? Must the soul
Be formlessly absorbed into the infinite whole?

The shining cup of earthly joy
I took with praise to Thee,
And held it dear because it was
Thy loving cup to me.

The jewelled cup of earthly joy
I kissed for love of Thee,
Because within its limpid depths
Thine image I could see.

I drank the cup of earthly joy
With many a thought of Thee,
And drinking it, I seemed to taste
Perfect felicity.

But now the cup of earthly joy
No longer flows for me,
Lest I should satisfy my soul
With something less than Thee.

Look from thy lattice, love—
Listen to me!
The cool, balmy breeze
Is abroad on the sea!
The moon, like a queen,
Roams her realms above,
And naught is awake
But the spirit of love.
Ere morn's golden light
Tips the hills with its ray,
Away o'er the waters—
Away and away!
Then look from thy lattice, love—
Listen to me.
While the moon lights the sky,
And the breeze curls the sea!
Look from thy lattice, love—
Listen to me!
In the voyage of life,
Love our pilot will be!
He'll sit at the helm
Wherever we rove,

The fisher's clothes, though cheap, withstand
The drenching they receive;
But see! my floods of tears have blurred
The colours of my sleeve,
As for thy love I grieve.

I just give you what I've got, dear comrades:
The little things here and there of no consequence born of my love:
The words of my heart addressing themselves to you: the plain simple words of my loyal faith:
I have nothing else to give, but I give you that wholly, without asking any questions:
Coming to you with joy, visiting you with confidence, yet sending no boisterous couriers ahead to promise you anything:
You, all of you, to whom I belong: you, all of you, who belong to me: the somebodies, the nobodies:

Those tender ties are sundered now,—
This heart is doomed to die;
Vain is the oft-repeated vow,
And vain the pensive sigh;
The morning breaks so lone and sad
Upon my wakeful eye,
And I have none to make me glad
Beneath the sunlit sky.

O! tell me where sweet comfort flows,
And where the cheering beams?
Sweet solace for these latent woes,
And living crystal streams?
And where is love, unchanging love,
Love that can never die?
Not on this earth; 'tis formed above,
In fairer climes on high!

Once I had love, so pure and fair,

Yes, life has curious ways, and I to you
Am little more than anyone might be.
But I cannot lose you any more, my love.

I cannot see you any more, my love,
For if I do not see you I have eyes
But if I see you I have none at all.

I cannot love you any more, my love,
For if I do not love you I have peace
But if I love you I have none at all.

It was a cruel thing when you were born,
For I had always pain of missing you
But finding you at last, that was the pain.

Love is the soothing voice of gods
To which men ever list.
Love is the ease of soul's travail
And sorrow's alchemist.

When we went out to take the air,
My dearie love, my heart's delight
Had crimson poppies in her hair,
But O, her cheeks were white.

We watched the sunset doff his crown,
The silver moon shine overhead;
Then I looked up, and she looked down,
And ne'er a word we said.

And then it seemed a thousand years;
And then I said, “It's fair and mild,”
And looking down I saw my dear's
Blue eyes, and O, they smiled.

We sat as still as still could be
And smiled till love was clean confessed,
And then I drew her close to me