The Collected Poems of Lord De Tabley [i.e. J. B. L. Warren] |
 |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
AN IDYLL |
|
 | The Collected Poems of Lord De Tabley |  |
AN IDYLL
The time of pleasant fancies,
For lass and lad returns
In velvet on the pansies,
In little rolled-up ferns.
For lass and lad returns
In velvet on the pansies,
In little rolled-up ferns.
Spring comes and sighs and listens
For the flute of nuptial bird:
Her primrose mantle glistens,
But her footfall is not heard.
For the flute of nuptial bird:
Her primrose mantle glistens,
But her footfall is not heard.
356
She hides in wild-wood places
To watch the young herb grow:
And on the hyacinth faces
She writes the word of woe.
To watch the young herb grow:
And on the hyacinth faces
She writes the word of woe.
And when the year is younger,
And oak leaves yet are small:
And nestlings gape in hunger,
And merry crow-boys call:
And oak leaves yet are small:
And nestlings gape in hunger,
And merry crow-boys call:
And on the purple fallows
The greedy rooks are swaying;
And, as the morning mellows
The wenches pass a-maying.
The greedy rooks are swaying;
And, as the morning mellows
The wenches pass a-maying.
And, as in clouds of roses,
The orchard breadths expand;
The chestnut leaf uncloses
The fingers round its hand.
The orchard breadths expand;
The chestnut leaf uncloses
The fingers round its hand.
In glades and groves of beeches
The pensive lovers rest:
With sighs, in broken speeches,
Their passion is confessed.
The pensive lovers rest:
With sighs, in broken speeches,
Their passion is confessed.
In silence and emotion
They give themselves away,
To sail Love's restless ocean
For ever and a day.
They give themselves away,
To sail Love's restless ocean
For ever and a day.
For ever and for ever
They vow, for many a year,
When leaves are young: they sever
When leaves are turning sere.
They vow, for many a year,
When leaves are young: they sever
When leaves are turning sere.
Ay me, that Love is faded!
Heigho, the leaves rush down.
They kissed, in greenwood shaded,
They part ere woods are brown.
Heigho, the leaves rush down.
They kissed, in greenwood shaded,
They part ere woods are brown.
Time, as a boding raven,
Sails o'er them in his flight:
And on their fairy haven,
His wing drops dews of blight.
Sails o'er them in his flight:
And on their fairy haven,
His wing drops dews of blight.
357
Their morning star was kindled,
And rode as high as God.
Their evening lamp has dwindled
To a glow-worm in the sod.
And rode as high as God.
Their evening lamp has dwindled
To a glow-worm in the sod.
Spring ends, and Love is ended:
His lute has lost its tone.
And the cadence, once so splendid,
Dies in a wailing moan.
His lute has lost its tone.
And the cadence, once so splendid,
Dies in a wailing moan.
| The Collected Poems of Lord De Tabley | |