Or if at table she'll employ,
To pillow hers, her lover's feet,

Give me the apple that she bit,
The glass from which she drank, bestow,

And when my kiss so orders it,
Her bosom, veil'd till then, will show.

And when she wills of love to speak,
In fond and silent hours of bliss,

Words from her mouth are all I seek,
Nought else I crave,--not e'en a kiss.

With what a soul her mind is fraught,
Wreath'd round with charms unceasingly!

She's perfect,--and she fails in nought
Save in her deigning to love me.

My rev'rence throws me at her feet,
My longing throws me on her breast;

This, youth, is rapture true and sweet,
Be wise, thus seeking to be blest.

When death shall take thee from her side,
To join the angelic choir above,

In heaven's bright mansions to abide,--
No diff'rence at the change thoult prove.

1767-8.
-----

THE FAREWELL.
[Probably addressed to his mistress Frederica.]

LET mine eye the farewell say,
That my lips can utter ne'er;

Fain I'd be a man to-day,
Yet 'tis hard, oh, hard to bear!

Mournful in an hour like this
Is love's sweetest pledge, I ween;

Cold upon thy mouth the kiss,
Faint thy fingers' pressure e'en.

Oh what rapture to my heart
Used each stolen kiss to bring!

As the violets joy impart,
Gather'd in the early spring.

Now no garlands I entwine,
Now no roses pluck. for thee,

Though 'tis springtime, Fanny mine,
Dreary autumn 'tis to me!

1771.
-----

THE BEAUTIFUL NIGHT.
Now I leave this cottage lowly,

Where my love hath made her home,
And with silent footstep slowly

Through the darksome forest roam,
Luna breaks through oaks and bushes,

Zephyr hastes her steps to meet,
And the waving birch-tree blushes,

Scattering round her incense sweet.
Grateful are the cooling breezes

Of this beauteous summer night,
Here is felt the charm that pleases,

And that gives the soul delight.
Boundless is my joy; yet, Heaven,

Willingly I'd leave to thee
Thousand such nights, were one given

By my maiden loved to me!
1767-8.

-----
HAPPINESS AND VISION.

TOGETHER at the altar we
In vision oft were seen by thee,

Thyself as bride, as bridegroom I.
Oft from thy mouth full many a kiss

In an unguarded hour of bliss
I then would steal, while none were by.

The purest rapture we then knew,
The joy those happy hours gave too,

When tasted, fled, as time fleets on.
What now avails my joy to me?

Like dreams the warmest kisses flee,
Like kisses, soon all joys are gone.

1767-8.
-----

LIVING REMEMBRANCE.
HALF vex'd, half pleased, thy love will feel,

Shouldst thou her knot or ribbon steal;
To thee they're much--I won't conceal;

Such self-deceit may pardon'd be;
A veil, a kerchief, garter, rings,

In truth are no mean trifling things,
But still they're not enough for me.

She who is dearest to my heart,
Gave me, with well dissembled smart,

Of her own life, a living part,
No charm in aught beside I trace;

How do I scorn thy paltry ware!
A lock she gave me of the hair

That wantons o'er her beauteous face.
If, loved one, we must sever'd be,

Wouldst thou not wholly fly from me,
I still possess this legacy,

To look at, and to kiss in play.--
My fate is to the hair's allied,

We used to woo her with like pride,
And now we both are far away.

Her charms with equal joy we press'd,
Her swelling cheeks anon caress'd,

Lured onward by a yearning blest,
Upon her heaving bosom fell.

Oh rival, free from envy's sway,
Thou precious gift, thou beauteous prey.

Remain my joy and bliss to tell!
1767-9.

-----
THE BLISS OF ABSENCE.

DRINK, oh youth, joy's purest ray
From thy loved one's eyes all day,

And her image paint at night!
Better rule no lover knows,

Yet true rapture greater grows,
When far sever'd from her sight.

Powers eternal, distance, time,
Like the might of stars sublime,

Gently rock the blood to rest,
O'er my senses softness steals,

Yet my bosom lighter feels,
And I daily am more blest.

Though I can forget her ne'er,
Yet my mind is free from care,

I can calmly live and move;
Unperceived infatuation

Longing turns to adoration,
Turns to reverence my love.

Ne'er can cloud, however light,
Float in ether's regions bright,

When drawn upwards by the sun,
As my heart in rapturous calm.

Free from envy and alarm,
Ever love I her alone!

1767-9.
-----

TO LUNA.
SISTER of the first-born light,

Type of sorrowing gentleness!
Quivering mists in silv'ry dress

Float around thy features bright;
When thy gentle foot is heard,

From the day-closed caverns then
Wake the mournful ghosts of men,

I, too, wake, and each night-bird.
O'er a field of boundless span

Looks thy gaze both far and wide.
Raise me upwards to thy side!

Grant this to a raving man!
And to heights of rapture raised,

Let the knight so crafty peep
At his maiden while asleep,

Through her lattice-window glazed.
Soon the bliss of this sweet view,

Pangs by distance caused allays;
And I gather all thy rays,

And my look I sharpen too.
Round her unveil'd limbs I see

Brighter still become the glow,
And she draws me down below,

As Endymion once drew thee.
1767-9.

-----
THE WEDDING NIGHT.

WITHIN the chamber, far away
From the glad feast, sits Love in dread

Lest guests disturb, in wanton play,
The silence of the bridal bed.

His torch's pale flame serves to gild
The scene with mysticsacred glow;

The room with incense-clouds is fil'd,
That ye may perfect rapture know.

How beats thy heart, when thou dost hear
The chime that warns thy guests to fly!

How glow'st thou for those lips so dear,
That soon are mute, and nought deny!

With her into the holy place
Thou hast'nest then, to perfect all;

The fire the warder's hands embrace,
Grows, like a night-light, dim and small.

How heaves her bosom, and how burns
Her face at every fervent kiss!

Her coldness now to trembling turns,
Thy daring now a duty is.

Love helps thee to undress her fast,
But thou art twice as fast as he;

And then he shuts both eye at last,
With sly and roguish modesty.

1767.
-----

MISCHIEVOUS JOY.
AS a butterfly renew'd,

When in life I breath'd my last,
To the spots my flight I wing,

Scenes of heav'nly rapture past,
Over meadows, to the spring,

Round the hill, and through the wood.
Soon a tender pair I spy,

And I look down from my seat
On the beauteousmaiden's head--

When embodied there I meet

• mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
• farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)
• pledge [pledʒ] n.信物；誓约vt.使发誓 (初中英语单词)
• pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对...施压力 (初中英语单词)
• stolen [´stəulən] steal 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
• cottage [´kɔtidʒ] n.村舍；小屋；小别墅 (初中英语单词)
• maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)
• vision [´viʒən] n.视觉；想象力；幻影 (初中英语单词)
• ribbon [´ribən] n.缎带；带子；色带 (初中英语单词)
• trifling [´traifliŋ] a.微小的；轻浮的 (初中英语单词)
• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)
• eternal [i´tə:nəl] a.永远的；永恒的 (初中英语单词)
• calmly [´kɑ:mli] ad.平静地；无风浪地 (初中英语单词)
• wedding [´wediŋ] n.婚礼，结婚 (初中英语单词)
• disturb [di´stə:b] vt.扰乱；使不安；打乱 (初中英语单词)
• sacred [´seikrid] a.神圣的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• coldness [´kəuldnis] n.寒冷；冷淡 (初中英语单词)
• butterfly [´bʌtəflai] n.蝴蝶；蝶式 (初中英语单词)
• flight [flait] n.逃走；飞行；班机 (初中英语单词)
• longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)
• rapture [´ræptʃə] n.着迷；全神贯注 (高中英语单词)
• footstep [´futstep] n.足迹，脚步声 (高中英语单词)
• incense [´insens, in´sens] n.香(气) vt.激怒 (高中英语单词)
• onward [´ɔnwəd] ad.&a.向前(的) (高中英语单词)
• reverence [´revərəns] n.尊敬；敬畏；尊严 (高中英语单词)
• knight [nait] n.骑士；爵士 (高中英语单词)
• sharpen [´ʃɑ:pən] v.削尖，(使)锐利 (高中英语单词)
• chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)
• springtime [´spriŋtaim] n.春季；青春期 (英语四级单词)
• bridegroom [´braidgru:m] n.新郎 (英语四级单词)
• upwards [´ʌpwədz] ad.=upward (英语四级单词)
• mournful [´mɔ:nful] a.令人沮丧的 (英语四级单词)
• boundless [´baundlis] a.无边无际的 (英语四级单词)
• wanton [´wɔntən, ´wɑ:n-] a.顽皮的 n.&vi.荡妇 (英语四级单词)
• bridal [´braidl] a.&n.婚礼(的) (英语四级单词)
• nought [nɔ:t] n.=naught (英语四级单词)
• daring [´deəriŋ] a.&n.勇敢(的) (英语四级单词)
• undress [ʌn´dres] v.(给)脱衣 (英语四级单词)
• angelic [æn´dʒelik] a.天使(般)的 (英语六级单词)
• beauteous [´bju:tiəs] a.美的，美丽的 (英语六级单词)
• unguarded [ʌn´gɑ:did] a.不谨慎的；轻率的 (英语六级单词)
• kerchief [´kə:tʃif] n.头巾，围巾 (英语六级单词)
• garter [´gɑ:tə] n.吊袜带 (英语六级单词)
• softness [´sɔftnis] n.柔软；柔和；温柔 (英语六级单词)
• crafty [´krɑ:fti] a.狡猾的 (英语六级单词)
• mystic [´mistik] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (英语六级单词)
• fervent [´fə:vənt] a.强烈的；热情的 (英语六级单词)