 | Rhapsodies |  |
109
LINES From Age to Youth.
As fragrant flowers must fade away,
So blooming beauty will decay;
The flowing hair, the sparkling eye;
The cheek of rose and lily dye;
The iv'ry teeth and coral lip,
Where Love nectareous juice might sip:
These all must perish, fade away,
Like April showers or bloom of May.
So blooming beauty will decay;
The flowing hair, the sparkling eye;
The cheek of rose and lily dye;
The iv'ry teeth and coral lip,
Where Love nectareous juice might sip:
These all must perish, fade away,
Like April showers or bloom of May.
The youth and tim'rous maid, in turn,
With love's celestial ardor burn;
The languid eye and panting heart
Their bliss and pain alike impart;
He vows; she, list'ning, stands confess'd,
Love's in her eye, her mien, her breast:
But ah! too soon they both must prove
That wint'ry age nips summer's love.
With love's celestial ardor burn;
The languid eye and panting heart
Their bliss and pain alike impart;
He vows; she, list'ning, stands confess'd,
Love's in her eye, her mien, her breast:
But ah! too soon they both must prove
That wint'ry age nips summer's love.
110
Then let my hoary locks presage,
That, spring-time pass'd, I'm grown more sage:
These eyes quite dim, this furrow'd cheek,
My tranquil pleasures now bespeak:
I covet not the joys I've seen;
My days are happy, nights serene.
By this, let man contentment know;
We're happy, could we think but so.
That, spring-time pass'd, I'm grown more sage:
These eyes quite dim, this furrow'd cheek,
My tranquil pleasures now bespeak:
I covet not the joys I've seen;
My days are happy, nights serene.
By this, let man contentment know;
We're happy, could we think but so.
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