The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay With Illustrations by John Gilbert |
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| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
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| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
THE TWO BOOKS. |
 | The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay |  |
THE TWO BOOKS.
I
A lover and his lassLay reading on the grass
A book of olden story,
Of love, and grief, and glory.
The maiden's eyes were bright
With pity and delight,
And stray'd not from the book,
E'en for a casual look
At him her life's dear lord—
Beside her on the sward;
But read, with lips apart,
The too entrancing tale that thrill'd through all her heart.
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II
The lover's eyes, twin thieves,Stole glances from the leaves—
Now to those milk-white shoulders,
The charm of all beholders;
Now to those sunny eyes,
Blue-bright as Paradise;
Now to her streaming curls,
Or ruby-cover'd pearls,
Whence issued sweeter breath
Than south wind scattereth,
Then to her dainty hand,
Or little fairy feet, star-twinklers in the land.
III
“Ah well-a-day!” quoth he,“Thy book 's no book for me.
“The page I read is rarer,
“And tenderer, and fairer;
“For thine contains, at best,
“Life-shadows—love's unrest;
“But mine contains all truth,
“All beauty and all youth,
“All feelings fond and coy,
“And deep and passionate joy.
“Be books upon the shelf!
“My stories are thine eyes; my poem is Thyself!”
| The Collected Songs of Charles Mackay | |