Poems on several subjects

Nicol, Alexander

[section]

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

SONG VIII. The Summer Evening.

[_]

To the Tune of, The bonny Bush aboon Traquair.

Witness, ye Powers! that do attend
My sighs, and stand amazing,
And tell if falsehood I pretend,
When on her charms I'm gazing.
No, no; I scorn so base a crime;
Such thoughts need never move her:
Eternity shall waste her time,
Before I cease to love her.

Her smiles, like powerful spells, intraps
My wand'ring heart, and binds it;
Kind Cupid may wound her; perhaps
She'll yield, when as she finds it.
O then! my joys will be complete;
My wishes at my pleasure:
With great delight, whene'er we meet,
I'll hug my lovely treasure.

But oh! alas! those empty forms,
Make me with pain to languish;
As sea swains, under furious storms,
Are fill'd with grief and anguish;
So these ideas that present
My fancy, still do move me,
Until she yield, with free consent,
And say, I dearly love thee.

Which sentence, if I once but heard,
I'd be more blithe to hear her,
Than one from drowning were restor'd;
With fondness I'd admire her;
And then fly to her bosom fair,
And kindly treat my jewel;
To every swain I would declare,
That she is no more cruel.

University of Virginia Library

SONG VIII. The Summer Evening.