The Village Churchyard And Other Poems. By Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley |
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TO OTHERS GIVE THY LOVELIEST SMILES. |
 | The Village Churchyard |  |
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TO OTHERS GIVE THY LOVELIEST SMILES.
To others give thy loveliest smiles,
Thy honeyed words of joy and cheer;
For others keep thy winning wiles:—
Give me thine every tear!
Thy honeyed words of joy and cheer;
For others keep thy winning wiles:—
Give me thine every tear!
To all dispense thy looks of Light;
The sunshine of the lips and eyes—
That living sunshine, more than bright:
Give me thy thoughts and sighs!
The sunshine of the lips and eyes—
That living sunshine, more than bright:
Give me thy thoughts and sighs!
With others share thy happiest hours,
Thy spirit's light and brilliant mood,
Thy wit's fair gems, thy fancy's flowers:—
Give me thy solitude!
Thy spirit's light and brilliant mood,
Thy wit's fair gems, thy fancy's flowers:—
Give me thy solitude!
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And let those gay and summer friends,
Thy notice and thy favour claim;
And still, when day's fleet season ends,
Breathe in thy prayers—my name!
Thy notice and thy favour claim;
And still, when day's fleet season ends,
Breathe in thy prayers—my name!
Theirs be thy sunny-sparkling smiles;
Theirs—theirs each radiant glance of thine;
The glance that binds while it beguiles—
The smiles that scathing shine!
Theirs—theirs each radiant glance of thine;
The glance that binds while it beguiles—
The smiles that scathing shine!
And since thou lov'st not hallowed sadness,
But shrink'st from sorrow's lightest breath;
With others live a life of gladness:—
Give me thine hour of Death!
But shrink'st from sorrow's lightest breath;
With others live a life of gladness:—
Give me thine hour of Death!
That hour—the last of troublous life—
When destiny and dust must part;
And hopes and fears make deadlier strife
Than the cold hand on our heart:
When destiny and dust must part;
And hopes and fears make deadlier strife
Than the cold hand on our heart:
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When hearts, that deem'd they loved before,
Such love forget—forego;
And (Passion's fevered throb past o'er)
Shrink from their share of woe!
Such love forget—forego;
And (Passion's fevered throb past o'er)
Shrink from their share of woe!
When hearts, whose Love was false and light,
Live on—and love no longer;
Then my Love, like the stars in night,
Shall steadier shine, and stronger!
Live on—and love no longer;
Then my Love, like the stars in night,
Shall steadier shine, and stronger!
Yet, if this wretched hope—e'en this,
May not to me be given:
Oh! thine be all Earth hath of bliss;
And may we meet in Heaven!
May not to me be given:
Oh! thine be all Earth hath of bliss;
And may we meet in Heaven!
| The Village Churchyard | |