 | Lays and Legends |  |
194
A GOOD-BYE
Farewell! How soon unmeasured distance rolls
Its leaden clouds between our parted souls!
How little to each other now are we—
And once how much I dreamed we two might be!
I, who now stand with eyes undimmed and dry
To say good-bye—
Its leaden clouds between our parted souls!
How little to each other now are we—
And once how much I dreamed we two might be!
I, who now stand with eyes undimmed and dry
To say good-bye—
To say good-bye to all sweet memories,
Good-bye to tender questions, soft replies;
Good bye to hope, good-bye to dreaming too,
Good-bye to all things dear—good-bye to you,
Without a kiss, a tear, a prayer, a sigh—
Our last good-bye.
Good-bye to tender questions, soft replies;
Good bye to hope, good-bye to dreaming too,
Good-bye to all things dear—good-bye to you,
Without a kiss, a tear, a prayer, a sigh—
Our last good-bye.
I had no chain to bind you with at all;
No grace to charm, no beauty to enthral;
No power to hold your eyes with mine, and make
Your heart on fire with longing for my sake,
Till all the yearning passed into one cry:
‘Love, not good-bye!’
No grace to charm, no beauty to enthral;
No power to hold your eyes with mine, and make
Your heart on fire with longing for my sake,
Till all the yearning passed into one cry:
‘Love, not good-bye!’
195
Ah, no—I had no strength like that, you know;
Yet my worst weakness was to love you so!
So much too well—so much too well—or ill—
Yet even that might have been pardoned still—
It would have been had I been you—you I!
But now—good-bye!
Yet my worst weakness was to love you so!
So much too well—so much too well—or ill—
Yet even that might have been pardoned still—
It would have been had I been you—you I!
But now—good-bye!
How soon the bitter follows on the sweet!
Could I not chain your fancy's flying feet?
Could I not hold your soul—to make you play
To-morrow in the key of yesterday—?
Dear—do you dream that I would stoop to try?
Ah, no—Good-bye!
Could I not chain your fancy's flying feet?
Could I not hold your soul—to make you play
To-morrow in the key of yesterday—?
Dear—do you dream that I would stoop to try?
Ah, no—Good-bye!
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