Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems By the Lady E. Stuart Wortley. In Three Vols |
 | I, II, III. |
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THE NIGHT COMES ON. |
 | Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems |  |
217
THE NIGHT COMES ON.
The Night comes on, with stars with clouds,
With shades for earth and sea;
And well, I hope, with fairy dreams,
Ten thousand dreams for me.
With shades for earth and sea;
And well, I hope, with fairy dreams,
Ten thousand dreams for me.
A thousand, thousand fairy dreams,
To shroud my thoughts of woe;
Oh! bring to me, thou precious Night,
That I sweet peace may know!
To shroud my thoughts of woe;
Oh! bring to me, thou precious Night,
That I sweet peace may know!
For all the day unceasing cares
My weary bosom load—
And with unnumbered torturing thoughts
My restless mind's o'erflowed!
My weary bosom load—
And with unnumbered torturing thoughts
My restless mind's o'erflowed!
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Bring me a thousand, thousand dreams,
Thou shadowy Night—I pray—
For more than thousand thoughts of woe
Have racked me through the day.
Thou shadowy Night—I pray—
For more than thousand thoughts of woe
Have racked me through the day.
And those I would have rooted out,
By visions glad and bright—
Be then to me one world of dreams,
Oh! thou consoling Night!
By visions glad and bright—
Be then to me one world of dreams,
Oh! thou consoling Night!
But, oh! be sure, be sure in all,
One image blest to enshrine—
Or thou, for all thy care and pain,
Shalt win no thanks of mine!
One image blest to enshrine—
Or thou, for all thy care and pain,
Shalt win no thanks of mine!
Bright dreams of joy and visions fair,
Without the one loved form,
Should seem less lovely than those thoughts,
Dark, dark as midnight's storm.
Without the one loved form,
Should seem less lovely than those thoughts,
Dark, dark as midnight's storm.
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And I would shun thee, dread thee, Sleep!
And hate and loathe thee, Night!
If the Elysium spread in view,
And shrouded that from sight.
And hate and loathe thee, Night!
If the Elysium spread in view,
And shrouded that from sight.
Away! away! those radiant dreams
Of beauty and of bliss!
Were hideous, hateful to my soul,
If purchased thus by this!
Of beauty and of bliss!
Were hideous, hateful to my soul,
If purchased thus by this!
Away! away! then, glorious dreams,
And visions glad and fair;
Oh! let me keep the memory still
That brings me but despair!—
And visions glad and fair;
Oh! let me keep the memory still
That brings me but despair!—
Yet if, oh! Night! and thou, oh! Sleep!
That form ye bring to view,
And give me peace, at once, and love,
Sweet friends ye are and true!
That form ye bring to view,
And give me peace, at once, and love,
Sweet friends ye are and true!
220
Then, Night! speed! speed! with stars, with clouds,
With shades for Earth and Sea;
With dew for flowers—with rest for all,
And, oh! with dreams for me!
With shades for Earth and Sea;
With dew for flowers—with rest for all,
And, oh! with dreams for me!
Let every burning dream repeat
One story deep and bright;
And set that image in my view—
Which is my soul's delight!
One story deep and bright;
And set that image in my view—
Which is my soul's delight!
Though worlds of treasure were mine own,
And worlds of hope and bliss,
I were a bankrupt of all peace,
If fate denied me this!—
And worlds of hope and bliss,
I were a bankrupt of all peace,
If fate denied me this!—
Give me to gaze on that lov'd smile,
Or sleeping or awake—
Give this—or all beside on earth,
With this—stern fortune take!—
Or sleeping or awake—
Give this—or all beside on earth,
With this—stern fortune take!—
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Night! faithful friend! and thou, calm Sleep,
Most comfortable nurse—
Be not unto mine ardent prayer
And fervent hope averse!
Most comfortable nurse—
Be not unto mine ardent prayer
And fervent hope averse!
Bring me the dreams that I would dream;
A gift to me, oh! Night—
More dear than couldst thou proffer me,
Thy countless worlds of Light!
A gift to me, oh! Night—
More dear than couldst thou proffer me,
Thy countless worlds of Light!
Sun—golden Sun, when thou in pride
And glory dost arise—
How shall I hate thee, if thy beams
Swift chase them from mine eyes!
And glory dost arise—
How shall I hate thee, if thy beams
Swift chase them from mine eyes!
Unless thou bring sweet thoughts and hopes—
Such as I long have missed,
And bid me thus in long-lost peace—
And long-lost joy exist.
Such as I long have missed,
And bid me thus in long-lost peace—
And long-lost joy exist.
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But if thou bring no hope, no peace,
But drive Love's dreams away—
Then goeth down my Sun at dawn!
Then darkness is my day!
But drive Love's dreams away—
Then goeth down my Sun at dawn!
Then darkness is my day!
The night comes on with clouds, with stars,
With shades for earth and sea;
And oh! my heavy soul—I trust
With thousand dreams for thee.
With shades for earth and sea;
And oh! my heavy soul—I trust
With thousand dreams for thee.
With thousand fair and fairy dreams,
All beautiful and bright—
As precious as the stars that pave
Thy path—thou lovely Night!
All beautiful and bright—
As precious as the stars that pave
Thy path—thou lovely Night!
Soft shadows after shadows roll—
Like waves—o'er sea-like air—
These shadows are to me a Sun!
If thy visioned form float there!
Like waves—o'er sea-like air—
These shadows are to me a Sun!
If thy visioned form float there!
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If they bring such visions glad and bright,
And thus chase worse shadows far—
E'en those that brood upon the soul,
Unbroken by one Star!
And thus chase worse shadows far—
E'en those that brood upon the soul,
Unbroken by one Star!
The Night comes on with breathings low,
Stars—shades for earth and sea!
And, oh! my yearning soul, I pray,
With many a dream for thee.
Stars—shades for earth and sea!
And, oh! my yearning soul, I pray,
With many a dream for thee.
| Queen Berengaria's Courtesy, and Other Poems | |