Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems By the Lady E. Stuart Wortley. In Three Vols |
 | I, II, III. |
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THE SONG OF DEATH. |
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 | Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems |  |
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THE SONG OF DEATH.
“Rejoice!—Oh! Earth! that I am near,
Oh! shrink not from my rule with fear;
'Tis merciful, impartial, too—
Solemn and peaceful—just and true.
All ye who suffer and who sigh,
Dream ye it can be hard to die?
Look on each guest of mine, each guest
That dwells in never-broken rest.
Earth's children, ye have groaned in pain,
Follow, follow in my train!
Oh! shrink not from my rule with fear;
'Tis merciful, impartial, too—
Solemn and peaceful—just and true.
All ye who suffer and who sigh,
Dream ye it can be hard to die?
Look on each guest of mine, each guest
That dwells in never-broken rest.
Earth's children, ye have groaned in pain,
Follow, follow in my train!
“Maiden—come with all thy charms,
Come from love's fond deep alarms—
Treachery thou shalt fear no more;
No doubt shall pierce thy young heart's core,
Thy smile shall melt not thus to tears.
Come—come in these thy rosy years,
Come ere the bitter word be breathed,
And love's flower-crowns fade disenwreath'd.
Thee to my bosom will I take,
Follow—follow in my wake!
Come from love's fond deep alarms—
Treachery thou shalt fear no more;
No doubt shall pierce thy young heart's core,
Thy smile shall melt not thus to tears.
Come—come in these thy rosy years,
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And love's flower-crowns fade disenwreath'd.
Thee to my bosom will I take,
Follow—follow in my wake!
“Monarch! from thy throne descend,
Thee will I ev'n yet befriend;
Thou has known what 'tis to bear
Mortal grief—and mortal care—
Thou hast seldom had for guest
Peace—the halcyon of the breast.
Come with all the good thou'st done,
Deep awful duties gird the throne!
Come! lay down thy gilded chain,
Follow—follow in my train!
Thee will I ev'n yet befriend;
Thou has known what 'tis to bear
Mortal grief—and mortal care—
Thou hast seldom had for guest
Peace—the halcyon of the breast.
Come with all the good thou'st done,
Deep awful duties gird the throne!
Come! lay down thy gilded chain,
Follow—follow in my train!
“Mourner! come away—away—
Now come to thy beloved clay!
Thou hast pined, and thou hast wept
For the dearly loved that slept!
Thou hast languished day and night
For thy deep Soul's lost delight—
I, and only I, can now
Unite the parted!—hasten thou,
For thy own beloved one's sake.
Follow—follow in my wake.
Now come to thy beloved clay!
Thou hast pined, and thou hast wept
For the dearly loved that slept!
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For thy deep Soul's lost delight—
I, and only I, can now
Unite the parted!—hasten thou,
For thy own beloved one's sake.
Follow—follow in my wake.
Dreamer! thou hast soared from Earth—
From thy place of mortal birth;
Ever fired with longings deep,
Harvests nobler far to reap
Than those that can be gathered here,
On this dim and clouded sphere,
Dreamer! canst thou fear me? thou!
With Vision-haloes round thy brow,
Come and find thy dreams not vain,
Follow—follow in my train.
From thy place of mortal birth;
Ever fired with longings deep,
Harvests nobler far to reap
Than those that can be gathered here,
On this dim and clouded sphere,
Dreamer! canst thou fear me? thou!
With Vision-haloes round thy brow,
Come and find thy dreams not vain,
Follow—follow in my train.
Wanderer—try a calmer shore,
Than thou e'er hast trod before.
Come, come with bare unsandelled foot,
Where fall the footsteps faint and mute—
Bring no scrip and bring no staff,
All Earth's treasures there are chaff.
Wanderer—come with me, where land
Doth after land in light expand,
Where heavenly Founts thy thirst shall slake,
Follow—follow in my wake.
Than thou e'er hast trod before.
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Where fall the footsteps faint and mute—
Bring no scrip and bring no staff,
All Earth's treasures there are chaff.
Wanderer—come with me, where land
Doth after land in light expand,
Where heavenly Founts thy thirst shall slake,
Follow—follow in my wake.
Statesman lay aside thy cares,
Thou'rt one of mine, and Slumber's heirs;
Thou, even thou too, shalt repose,
Life's long turmoil-scenes shall close;
Thy vexed toils shall cease at last,
Thou'lt forget vain struggles past,
Hours of dark embosomed Strife,
Hours of troubled fevered Life—
Come, where Peace and Silence reign,
Follow—follow in my train!”
Thou'rt one of mine, and Slumber's heirs;
Thou, even thou too, shalt repose,
Life's long turmoil-scenes shall close;
Thy vexed toils shall cease at last,
Thou'lt forget vain struggles past,
Hours of dark embosomed Strife,
Hours of troubled fevered Life—
Come, where Peace and Silence reign,
Follow—follow in my train!”
| Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems | |