Although I enter not, Yet round about the spot Ofttimes I hover: And near the sacred gate, With longing eyes I wait, Expectant of her. The Minster bell tolls out Above the city’s rout, And noise and humming: They’ve hush’d the Minster bell: The organ ‘gins to swell: She’s coming, she’s coming! My lady comes […]

Ho, pretty page, with the dimpled chin, That never has known the Barber’s shear, All your wish is woman to win, This is the way that boys begin,– Wait till you come to Forty Year. Curly gold locks cover foolish brains, Billing and cooing is all your cheer; Sighing and singing of midnight strains, Under […]

WERTHER had a love for Charlotte Such as words could never utter; Would you know how first he met her? She was cutting bread and butter. Charlotte was a married lady, And a moral man was Werther, And, for all the wealth of Indies, Would do nothing for to hurt her. So he sighed and […]

Little KITTY LORIMER, Fair, and young, and witty, What has brought your ladyship Rambling to the City? All the Stags in Capel Court Saw her lightly trip it; All the lads of Stock Exchange Twigg’d her muff and tippet. With a sweet perplexity, And a mystery pretty, Threading through Threadneedle Street, Trots the little KITTY. […]

(IN REPLY TO AN INVITATION DATED ON THE 1ST.) By fate’s benevolent award, Should I survive the day, I’ll drink a bumper with my lord Upon the last of May. That I may reach that happy time The kindly gods I pray, For are not ducks and pease in prime Upon the last of May? […]

Ah! bleak and barren was the moor, Ah! loud and piercing was the storm, The cottage roof was shelter’d sure, The cottage hearth was bright and warm– An orphan-boy the lattice pass’d, And, as he mark’d its cheerful glow, Felt doubly keen the midnight blast, And doubly cold the fallen snow. They marked him as […]

A humble flower long time I pined Upon the solitary plain, And trembled at the angry wind, And shrunk before the bitter rain. And oh! ’twas in a blessed hour A passing wanderer chanced to see, And, pitying the lonely flower, To stoop and gather me. I fear no more the tempest rude, On dreary […]

Beside the old hall-fire–upon my nurse’s knee, Of happy fairy days–what tales were told to me! I thought the world was once–all peopled with princesses, And my heart would beat to hear–their loves and their distresses: And many a quiet night,–in slumber sweet and deep, The pretty fairy people–would visit me in sleep. I saw […]

Wearied arm and broken sword Wage in vain the desperate fight: Round him press a countless horde, He is but a single knight. Hark! a cry of triumph shrill Through the wilderness resounds, As, with twenty bleeding wounds, Sinks the warrior, fighting still. Now they heap the fatal pyre, And the torch of death they […]

THE MAYFAIR LOVE-SONG. Winter and summer, night and morn, I languish at this table dark; My office window has a corn- er looks into St. James’s Park. I hear the foot-guards’ bugle-horn, Their tramp upon parade I mark; I am a gentleman forlorn, I am a Foreign-Office Clerk. My toils, my pleasures, every one, I […]

Returning from the cruel fight How pale and faint appears my knight! He sees me anxious at his side; “Why seek, my love, your wounds to hide? Or deem your English girl afraid To emulate the Indian maid?” Be mine my husband’s grief to cheer In peril to be ever near; Whate’er of ill or […]

I was a timid little antelope; My home was in the rocks, the lonely rocks. I saw the hunters scouring on the plain; I lived among the rocks, the lonely rocks. I was a-thirsty in the summer-heat; I ventured to the tents beneath the rocks. Zuleikah brought me water from the well; Since then I […]

Yonder to the kiosk, beside the creek, Paddle the swift caique. Thou brawny oarsman with the sunburnt cheek, Quick! for it soothes my heart to hear the Bulbul speak. Ferry me quickly to the Asian shores, Swift bending to your oars. Beneath the melancholy sycamores, Hark! what a ravishing note the lovelorn Bulbul pours. Behold, […]

ZULEIKAH! The young Agas in the bazaar are slim-wasted and wear yellow slippers. I am old and hideous. One of my eyes is out, and the hairs of my beard are mostly gray. Praise be to Allah! I am a merry bard. There is a bird upon the terrace of the Emir’s chief wife. Praise […]

Beneath the gold acacia buds My gentle Nora sits and broods, Far, far away in Boston woods My gentle Nora! I see the tear-drop in her e’e, Her bosom’s heaving tenderly; I know–I know she thinks of me, My Darling Nora! And where am I? My love, whilst thou Sitt’st sad beneath the acacia bough, […]

Now the toils of day are over, And the sun hath sunk to rest, Seeking, like a fiery lover, The bosom of the blushing west– The faithful night keeps watch and ward, Raising the moon her silver shield, And summoning the stars to guard The slumbers of my fair Mathilde! The faithful night! Now all […]

Tink-a-tink, tink-a-tink, By the light of the star, On the blue river’s brink, I heard a guitar. I heard a guitar, On the blue waters clear, And knew by its music, That Selim was near! Tink-a-tink, tink-a-tink, How the soft music swells, And I hear the soft clink Of the minaret bells!

BY ADELBERT VON CHAMISSO. “–‘s war Einer, dem’s zu Herzen gieng.” There lived a sage in days of yore And he a handsome pigtail wore; But wondered much and sorrowed more Because it hung behind him. He mused upon this curious case, And swore he’d change the pigtail’s place, And have it hanging at his […]

Come to the greenwood tree, Come where the dark woods be, Dearest, O come with me! Let us rove–O my love–O my love! Come–’tis the moonlight hour, Dew is on leaf and flower, Come to the linden bower,– Let us rove–O my love–O my love! Dark is the wood, and wide Dangers, they say, betide; […]

LA MOTTE FOUQUE. “Und Du gingst einst, die Myrt’ im Haare.” And thou wert once a maiden fair, A blushing virgin warm and young: With myrtles wreathed in golden hair, And glossy brow that knew no care– Upon a bridegroom’s arm you hung. The golden locks are silvered now, The blushing cheek is pale and […]