 | Fragments and Fancies |  |
104
FALSE WORLD!
Oh! World! False world!
From thee and thine
My hopes are hurled,
In swift decline!
From thee and thine
My hopes are hurled,
In swift decline!
Farewell—farewell
To grief and glee!
No more I dwell
With them or thee!
To grief and glee!
No more I dwell
With them or thee!
My thoughts lie curbed,
In calm unchanged—
Still undisturbed—
From strife estranged!
In calm unchanged—
Still undisturbed—
From strife estranged!
105
To Hope and Fear
Farewell—farewell—
No longer here
In soul I dwell.
Farewell—farewell—
No longer here
In soul I dwell.
My thoughts are turned
To worlds more bright—
For late I mourned,
Girt round with night!
To worlds more bright—
For late I mourned,
Girt round with night!
Oh! World! False World!
How dear thou wert!
What dreams lie furled
Within my heart!
How dear thou wert!
What dreams lie furled
Within my heart!
Dreams—that of yore
Were full of might,
So streaming o'er
With rich delight!
Were full of might,
So streaming o'er
With rich delight!
106
Dreams that were all
Of thee and thine—
Could these enthral
This heart of mine?
Of thee and thine—
Could these enthral
This heart of mine?
Thy pomp—thy pride—
Thy wealth—thy worth—
And nought beside
Thou fleeting Earth!
Thy wealth—thy worth—
And nought beside
Thou fleeting Earth!
Thy sheen—thy show—
Thy strength—thy state!
(Oh! shame and woe—
These stamped my Fate!)
Thy strength—thy state!
(Oh! shame and woe—
These stamped my Fate!)
My dreams were full
Of these and thee!
All else seemed dull
And dark to me!
Of these and thee!
All else seemed dull
And dark to me!
107
The West-Heavens burn
With dazzling clouds;
But soon these turn
To gloomy shrouds.
With dazzling clouds;
But soon these turn
To gloomy shrouds.
And so, Oh! Earth,
Thy charms decay;
Thy might—thy mirth—
So fades away!
Thy charms decay;
Thy might—thy mirth—
So fades away!
But clouds that shone
O'er Heaven's blue face,
Fade one by one,
And leave no trace.
O'er Heaven's blue face,
Fade one by one,
And leave no trace.
Once bright of hue,
They melt away,
Nor more renew
Their proud array.
They melt away,
Nor more renew
Their proud array.
108
Grown dim and cold,
They shine no more;
Their tale is told,
Their time is o'er.
They shine no more;
Their tale is told,
Their time is o'er.
But, Oh! no stain
They leave behind
On Heaven's blue plain—
With Star-fires lined!
They leave behind
On Heaven's blue plain—
With Star-fires lined!
They leave no trace—
That eye can see—
But pure their place,
And fair and free!
That eye can see—
But pure their place,
And fair and free!
World!—thy delights,
Ere they depart,
With mortal blights
Corrupt the heart.
Ere they depart,
With mortal blights
Corrupt the heart.
109
Temptations throng
Round those who cling
With passion strong
To each vain thing.
Round those who cling
With passion strong
To each vain thing.
Those pomps—those shows—
Those dreams and joys—
Oft end in woes
And dire annoys!
Those dreams and joys—
Oft end in woes
And dire annoys!
And leave behind—
Thus void—thus vain—
On heart and mind
A stamp—and stain!
Thus void—thus vain—
On heart and mind
A stamp—and stain!
Oh! World! how weak
Are they who know
Alone to seek
Thy smiles below!
Are they who know
Alone to seek
Thy smiles below!
110
Temptations crowd
About their way—
Too soon they're bowed
Beneath such sway!
About their way—
Too soon they're bowed
Beneath such sway!
Awhile perchance
They sigh and shrink—
Yet one more glance—
They smile and sink!
They sigh and shrink—
Yet one more glance—
They smile and sink!
Oh! World of Death!
I know thee now,
Thine icy breath
Hath chilled my brow!
I know thee now,
Thine icy breath
Hath chilled my brow!
In time I turn
From thee away—
With strength to spurn
Thy false Array.
From thee away—
With strength to spurn
Thy false Array.
111
My dreams that burned
Like sunset clouds—
Like them that turned
To shadowy shrouds
Like sunset clouds—
Like them that turned
To shadowy shrouds
That shrank away,
And fading passed,
In swift decay—
Not made to last!
And fading passed,
In swift decay—
Not made to last!
At least they left
No stain to blight—
Of pomp bereft—
And hue and light.
No stain to blight—
Of pomp bereft—
And hue and light.
But sternly taught,
My sobered mind,
To leave in Thought
Itself behind!
My sobered mind,
To leave in Thought
Itself behind!
112
To scorn such toys
As these now seem—
All Earthly joys—
Each Earthly dream!
As these now seem—
All Earthly joys—
Each Earthly dream!
Those Dreams so bright
With rapture's glow,
Fraught with Delight
Soon changed to Woe!
With rapture's glow,
Fraught with Delight
Soon changed to Woe!
Oh! World of Strife!—
I fly thee now!—
The Sea of Life
Shall peaceful flow!
I fly thee now!—
The Sea of Life
Shall peaceful flow!
Oh! World of Gloom!
From thee I part;
One Mighty Tomb
In truth thou art!
From thee I part;
One Mighty Tomb
In truth thou art!
113
World—World of Death—
From thee I fly;
To breathe thy breath—
Is but to die!
From thee I fly;
To breathe thy breath—
Is but to die!
I shun—who sought
Thy Storms—thy Strife!—
And turn my thought
To Worlds of Life!
Thy Storms—thy Strife!—
And turn my thought
To Worlds of Life!
Farewell—Farewell—
To good and ill—
In peace I dwell—
Resigned and still!
To good and ill—
In peace I dwell—
Resigned and still!
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