Life and Phantasy by William Allingham: With frontispiece by Sir John E. Millais: A design by Arthur H. Hughes and a song for voice and piano forte |
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 | Life and Phantasy |  |
11
TO PHILIPPINA.
Lady fair, lady fair,
Seated with the scornful,
Though your beauty be so rare,
I were but a born fool
Still to seek my pleasure there.
Seated with the scornful,
Though your beauty be so rare,
I were but a born fool
Still to seek my pleasure there.
To love your features and your hue,
All your glowing beauty,
All, in short, that's good of you,
Was and is my duty,
As to love all beauty too.
All your glowing beauty,
All, in short, that's good of you,
Was and is my duty,
As to love all beauty too.
But now a fairer face I've got,
A Picture's—and believe me,
I never looked to you for what
A picture cannot give me.
All you've more, enhances not.
A Picture's—and believe me,
I never looked to you for what
A picture cannot give me.
All you've more, enhances not.
Your queenly lips can speak, and prove
The means of your uncrowning;
Your brow can change, your eyes can move,
Which grants you power of frowning;
Hers have Heav'n's one thought, of Love.
The means of your uncrowning;
Your brow can change, your eyes can move,
Which grants you power of frowning;
Hers have Heav'n's one thought, of Love.
So now I give good-bye, ma belle,
And lose no great good by it.
You're fair, well!—I can smile farewell,
As you must shortly sigh it,
To your bright, light, outer shell.
And lose no great good by it.
You're fair, well!—I can smile farewell,
As you must shortly sigh it,
To your bright, light, outer shell.
| Life and Phantasy | |