ODE X. An Ode on the 26th of January, being the Birth-Day of a Young Lady.
I
All hail, and welcome joyous morn,
Welcome to the infant year;
Whether smooth calms thy face adorn,
Or low'ring clouds appear;
Tho' billows lash the sounding shore,
And tempests thro' the forests roar,
Sweet Nancy's voice shall sooth the sound;
Tho' darkness shou'd invest the skies,
New day shall beam from Nancy's eyes,
And bless all nature round.
II
Let but those lips their sweets disclose,
And rich perfumes exhale,
We shall not want the fragrant rose,
Nor miss the southern gale.
Then loosely to the winds unfold,
Those radiant locks of burnish'd gold,
Or on thy bosom let them rove;
His treasure-house there Cupid keeps,
And hoards up, in two snowy heaps,
His stores of choicest love.
III
This day each warmest wish be paid
To thee the Muse's pride,
I long to see the blooming maid
Chang'd to the blushing bride.
So shall thy pleasure and thy praise
Increase with the increasing days,
And present joys exceed the past;
To give and to receive delight,
Shall be thy task both day and night,
While day and night shall last.