 | Songs and ballads by Samuel Lover |  |
THE ROYAL DREAM.
Upon a couch of royal state a lady fair reposed,
And, wrapt in pleasing visions bright, her soft blue eye was closed,
And, in that dream so beautiful, a mountain sprite was seen,
Whose brow was circled with a wreath of triple leaves so green.
Then sang the sprite, “Ah! lady bright! why seek a foreign shore,
And leave, unseen, thine island green, where loyal hearts adore?
You never met such welcome yet—ne'er saw such sunny smile,
As will greet thee on thy landing in thine own Emerald Isle.”
And, wrapt in pleasing visions bright, her soft blue eye was closed,
And, in that dream so beautiful, a mountain sprite was seen,
Whose brow was circled with a wreath of triple leaves so green.
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And leave, unseen, thine island green, where loyal hearts adore?
You never met such welcome yet—ne'er saw such sunny smile,
As will greet thee on thy landing in thine own Emerald Isle.”
And as the lady dreamed, she smiled, and waking, spoke her mind—
“Prepare my bravest ships, and spread their white wings to the wind,
And bear me to the verdant isle the spirit showed to me,
The fairest spot I yet have seen within my subject sea.”
The fav'ring gale soon filled the sail—the brave ships make the shore—
A fairy bark then seeks the strand amid the cannon's roar;
And her banner glitter'd in the sun—for heaven itself did smile
On the landing of the lady in her own Emerald Isle.
“Prepare my bravest ships, and spread their white wings to the wind,
And bear me to the verdant isle the spirit showed to me,
The fairest spot I yet have seen within my subject sea.”
The fav'ring gale soon filled the sail—the brave ships make the shore—
A fairy bark then seeks the strand amid the cannon's roar;
And her banner glitter'd in the sun—for heaven itself did smile
On the landing of the lady in her own Emerald Isle.
But the lady hears the million-shout above the cannon's roar,
That thunder-shout of loyal hearts along the echoing shore!
And her noble heart it echoed too—and thus did echo say,
“I ne'er so proudly felt my power as on this glorious day!”
It was a glorious day indeed—fond bosoms beating high—
A blessing hung on every tongue—devotion lit each eye:
Oh! brightest day of all her sway, the day she won the smile
That did greet the lady, landing in her own Emerald Isle!
That thunder-shout of loyal hearts along the echoing shore!
And her noble heart it echoed too—and thus did echo say,
“I ne'er so proudly felt my power as on this glorious day!”
It was a glorious day indeed—fond bosoms beating high—
A blessing hung on every tongue—devotion lit each eye:
Oh! brightest day of all her sway, the day she won the smile
That did greet the lady, landing in her own Emerald Isle!
| Songs and ballads by Samuel Lover | |