Page images
PDF
EPUB

WILL YOU COME TO THE BOWER?

I.

WILL you come to the bower I have shaded for you? Our bed shall be roses all spangled with dew.

[blocks in formation]

There, under the bower, on roses you'll lie, With a blush on your cheek, but a smile in your eye. will you, will you, will you

Will you,

Smile, my beloved?

[ocr errors]

But the roses we press shall not rival your lip,
Nor the dew be so sweet as the kisses we'll sip.
Will you, will you, will you, will

Kiss me, my love?

IV.

you

And oh! for the joys that are sweeter than dew
From languishing roses, or kisses from you.
Will you, will you, will you, will you,
Won't you, my love?

YOUNG JESSICA.

I.

YOUNG Jessica sat all the day,

In love-dreams languishingly pining,

Her needle bright neglected lay,

Like truant genius, idly shining.

Jessy, 'tis in idle hearts

That love and mischief are most nimble;

The safest shield against the darts
Of Cupid, is Minerva's thimble.

II.

A child who with a magnet play'd,
And knew its winning ways so wily,

The magnet near the needle laid,

And laughing said, "We'll steal it slily."

The needle, having nought to do,

Was pleased to let the magnet wheedle,
Till closer still the tempter drew,

And off, at length, eloped the needle.

III.

Now, had this needle turn'd its eye
To some gay Ridicule's construction,
It ne'er had stray'd from duty's tie,
Nor felt a magnet's sly seduction.
Girls, would you keep tranquil hearts,
Your snowy fingers must be nimble;
The safest shield against the darts
Of Cupid, is Minerva's thimble.

THE RABBINICAL ORIGIN OF WOMAN.

I.

THEY tell us that Woman was made of a rib
Just pick'd from a corner so snug in the side;
But the Rabbins swear to you this is a fib,
And 'twas not so at all that the sex was supplied.
Derry down, down, down derry down.
II.

For old Adam was fashion'd, the first of his kind,
With a tail like a monkey, full yard and a span;
And when Nature cut off this appendage behind,
Why-then Woman was made of the tail of the Man.
Derry down, down, down derry down.

III.

If such is the tie between Women and Men,
The ninny who weds is a pitiful elf;
For he takes to his tail, like an idiot, again,
And makes a most damnable ape of himself!
Derry down, down, down derry down.
IV.

Yet, if we may judge as the fashions prevail,
Every husband remembers th' original plan,

And, knowing his wife is no more than his tail,
Why he leaves her behind him as much as lie can.
Derry down, down, down derry down.

FAREWELL, BESSY!

I.

SWEETEST love! I'll not forget thee,
Time shall only teach my heart
Fonder, warmer, to regret thee,
Lovely, gentle as thou art!
Farewell, Bessy!

We may meet again,

II.

Yes, oh yes! again we meet, love!
And repose our hearts at last;
Oh, sure 'twill then be sweet, love!
Calm to think on sorrows past.
Farewell, Bessy!

We may meet again.

III.

Yet I feel my heart is breaking

When I think I stray from thee, Round the world that quiet seeking Which I fear is not for me.

Farewell, Bessy!

We may meet again,

IV.

Calm to peace thy lover's bosom—
Can it, dearest! must it be?
Thou within an hour shalt lose him,

He for ever loses thee!

Farewell, Bessy!

Yet oh! not for ever.

TO-DAY, DEAREST! IS OURS,

I.

TO-DAY, dearest! is ours;

Why should Love carelessly lose it? This life shines or lowers

Just as we, weak mortals, use it. 'Tis time enough, when its flowers decay, To think of the thorns of Sorrow; And Joy, if left on the stem to-day, May wither before to-morrow, A 2

II.

Then why, dearest ! so long
Let the sweet moments fly over?
Though now, blooming and young,
Thou hast me devoutly thy lover,
Yet time from both, in his silent lapse,

Some treasure may steal or borrow;
Thy charms may be less in bloom, perhaps,
Or I less in love to-morrow.

WHEN ON THE LIP THE SIGH DELAYS.

I.

WHEN on the lip the sigh delays,

As if 'twould linger there for ever;
When eyes would give the world to gaze,

Yet still look down, and venture never;
When, though with fairest nymphs we rove,
There's one we dream of more than any-
If all this is not real love,

"Tis something wondrous like it, Fanny?

II.

To think and ponder, when apart,
On all we've got to say at meeting;
And yet when near, with heart to heart,
Sit mute, and listen to their beating:
To see but one bright object move,
The only moon, where stars are many-
If all this is not downright love,

I prithee say what is, my Fanny!

III.

When Hope foretels the brightest, best,

Though Reason on the darkest reckons ;

When Passion drives us to the west,

Though Prudence to the eastward beckons ;
When all turns round, below, above,
And our own heads the most of any-

If this is not stark, staring love,

Then you and I are sages, Fanny.

HERE, TAKE MY HEART.

I.

HERE, take my heart, 'twill be safe in thy keeping,
While I go wandering o'er land and o'er sea;
Smiling or sorrowing, waking or sleeping,
What need I care, so my heart is with thee?
11.

If, in the race we are destined to run, love,

They who have light hearts the happiest be— Happier still must be they who have none, love, And that will be my case when mine is with thee! III.

No matter where I may now be a rover,

No matter how many bright eyes I see; Should Venus' self come and ask me to love her, I'd tell her I could not-my heart is with thee! IV.

There let it lie, growing fonder and fonder-
And should Dame Fortune turn truant to me,
Why, let her go-I've a treasure beyond her,
As long as my heart's out at interest with thee!

OH! CALL IT BY SOME BETTER NAME.
I.

OH! call it by some better name,
For Friendship is too cold,
And Love is now a worldly flame,
Whose shrine must be of gold;
And passion, like the sun at noon,
That burns o'er all he sees,
Awhile as warm, will set as soon,-
Oh! Call it none of these.

II.

Imagine something purer far,

More free from stain of clay,

Than Friendship, Love, or Passion are,
Yet human still as they :

And if thy lip, for love like this,

No mortal word can frame,
Go, ask of angels what it is,

And call it by that name!

« EelmineJätka »