The Home Book of Verse Volume Ii Part 111

"GO, FORGET ME"

Go, forget me! Why should sorrow O'er that brow a shadow fling?

Go, forget me,--and to-morrow Brightly smile and sweetly sing.

Smile--though I shall not be near thee.

Sing--though I shall never hear thee.

May thy soul with pleasure s.h.i.+ne, Lasting as the gloom of mine.

Like the sun, thy presence glowing Clothes the meanest things in light; And when thou, like him, art going, Loveliest objects fade in night.

All things looked so bright about thee, That they nothing seem without thee; By that pure and lucid mind Earthly things are too refined.

Go, thou vision, wildly gleaming, Softly on my soul that fell; Go, for me no longer beaming-- Hope and Beauty, fare ye well!

Go, and all that once delighted Take--and leave me, all benighted, Glory's burning, generous swell, Fancy, and the poet's sh.e.l.l.

Charles Wolfe [1791-1823]

LAST NIGHT

I sat with one I love last night, She sang to me an olden strain; In former times it woke delight, Last night--but pain.

Last night we saw the stars arise, But clouds soon dimmed the ether blue: And when we sought each other's eyes Tears dimmed them too!

We paced along our favorite walk, But paced in silence broken-hearted: Of old we used to smile and talk; Last night--we parted.

George Darley [1795-1846]

ADIEU

Let time and chance combine, combine, Let time and chance combine; The fairest love from heaven above, That love of yours was mine, My dear, That love of yours was mine.

The past is fled and gone, and gone, The past is fled and gone; If naught but pain to me remain, I'll fare in memory on, My dear, I'll fare in memory on.

The saddest tears must fall, must fall, The saddest tears must fall; In weal or woe, in this world below, I love you ever and all, My dear, I love you ever and all.

A long road full of pain, of pain, A long road full of pain; One soul, one heart, sworn ne'er to part,-- We ne'er can meet again, My dear, We ne'er can meet again.

Hard fate will not allow, allow, Hard fate will not allow; We blessed were as the angels are,-- Adieu forever now, My dear, Adieu forever now.

Thomas Carlyle [1795-1881]

JEANIE MORRISON

I've wandered east, I've wandered west, Through mony a weary way; But never, never can forget The luve o' life's young day!

The fire that's blawn on Beltane e'en, May weel be black gin Yule; But blacker fa' awaits the heart Where first fond luve grows cule.

O dear, dear Jeanie Morrison, The thochts o' bygane years Still fling their shadows owre my path, And blind my een wi' tears: They blind my een wi' saut, saut tears; And sair and sick I pine, As Memory idly summons up The blithe blinks o' langsyne.

'Twas then we luvit ilk ither weel, 'Twas then we twa did part; Sweet time, sad time!--twa bairns at schule, Twa bairns, and but ae heart!

'Twas then we sat on ae laigh bink, To leir ilk ither lear; And tones, and looks, and smiles were shed, Remembered evermair.

I wonder, Jeanie, aften yet, When sitting on that bink, Cheek touchin' cheek, loof locked in loof, What our wee heads could think!

When baith bent doun owre ae braid page, Wi' ae buik on our knee, Thy lips were on thy lesson, but My lesson was in thee.

Oh, mind ye how we hung our heads, How cheeks brent red wi' shame, Whene'er the schule-weans, laughin', said, We cleek'd thegither hame?

And mind ye o' the Sat.u.r.days (The schule then skail't at noon), When we ran aff to speel the braes-- The broomy braes o' June?

My head rins round and round about, My heart flows like a sea, As, ane by ane, the thochts rush back O' schule-time and o' thee.

Oh, mornin' life! Oh, mornin' luve!

Oh, lichtsome days and lang, When hinnied hopes around our hearts, Like simmer blossoms, sprang!

Oh, mind ye, luve, how aft we left The deavin' dinsome toun, To wander by the green burnside, And hear its waters croon?

The simmer leaves hung owre our heads, The flowers burst round our feet, And in the gloamin' o' the wud The throssil whusslit sweet.

The throssil whusslit in the wud, The burn sung to the trees, And we, with Nature's heart in tune, Concerted harmonies; And on the knowe abune the burn For hours thegither sat In the silentness o' joy, till baith Wi' very gladness grat.

Ay, ay, dear Jeanie Morrison, Tears trinkled doun your cheek, Like dew-beads on a rose, yet nane Had ony power to speak!

That was a time, a blessed time, When hearts were fresh and young, When freely gushed all feelings forth, Unsyllabled--unsung!

I marvel, Jeanie Morrison, Gin I hae been to thee As closely twined wi' earliest thochts As ye hae been to me?

Oh! tell me gin their music fills Thine ear as it does mine; Oh! say gin e'er your heart grows great Wi' dreamings o' langsyne?

I've wandered east, I've wandered west, I've borne a weary lot; But in my wanderings, far or near, Ye never were forgot.

The fount that first burst frae this heart, Still travels on its way; And channels deeper as it rins The luve o' life's young day.

O dear, dear Jeanie Morrison, Since we were sindered young, I've never seen your face, nor heard The music o' your tongue; But I could hug all wretchedness, And happy could I dee, Did I but ken your heart still dreamed O' bygane days and me!

William Motherwell [1797-1835]

THE SEA-LANDS

Would I were on the sea-lands, Where winds know how to sting; And in the rocks at midnight The lost long murmurs sing.

Would I were with my first love To hear the rush and roar Of spume below the doorstep And winds upon the door.