Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems by the late Thomas Haynes Bayly; Edited by his Widow. With A Memoir of the Author. In Two Volumes |
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Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems | ||
I'LL SING TO THEE THE FONDEST LAYS.
I
I'll sing to thee the fondest laysThat blue-eyed maiden ever heard;
I'll glean from songs of other days
Each tender thought, each gentle word:
I will not let my fancy rove
To themes that charm the worldly throng:
Oh! no! for fairy dreams of love
And nought but love shall grace my song.
II
I'll twine for thee the fairest flowersThat bloom upon the moss-rose tree;
I'll climb the hills, I'll search the bowers,
To find a garland fit for thee;
I'll breathe to thee each fervent vow
That ever pledged a lover's truth,
And swear the tie that links us now
Shall long outlive the smiles of youth.
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III
I'll build for thee the lightest barkThat ever sailed upon the sea;
And when the troubled waves are dark,
My faithful arms shall shelter thee:
To glory's track,—or fortune's smile,
Let other vessels proudly float,
To some secluded sunny isle
I'll gaily steer my precious boat.
Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems | ||