love poems

FIRST LOVER

Love that is spoken often dies,
Quick as the light in evening skies,
Or as a song upon the ear,
And leaves no answering spirit near:
Wilt thou be true? Shall I ne'er rue
My plighted faith? Wilt thou be true?

ECHO

Wilt thou be true?

SECOND LOVER

That doubt, O maiden, do not name!
Changeless as yon eternal flame
My spirit evermore shall be

I AM so desolate, —
Genius sighs —
Come, Love, and be my mate,
Give me thine eyes.

I am aweary,
Love, give me rest;
Leave me not dreary,
Give me thy breast.

The lark looks to heaven,
The flower to the sun;
But my heart is sore riven
For thy beauty, sweet one.

Give me thy presence,
My life to enfold;
Then care and sorrow hence,
That life shalt thou hold.

My life is but a study how to die.
Since there seems nought of worth in life on earth,
I'll school my spirit for eternity,
And study how from death to gain new birth.
I am in love with that which leads from hence
Because it points to all our minds desire,
When, rapt in contemplation, mortal sense,
And sin and error like a dream expire.
O heaven! the fountain-head of every grace,
Where wisdom, justice, beauty, power, and love
Have made their everlasting resting-place,
Teach now my better part to dwell above

The bloom hath fled thy cheek, Mary,
As spring's rath blossoms die,
And sadness hath o'ershadowed quite
Thy once bright eye;
But, look on me, the prints of grief
Still deeper lie.
Farewell!

Thy lips are pale and mute, Mary,
Thy step is sad and slow,
The morn of gladness hath gone by
Thou erst didst know;
I, too, am changed like thee, and weep
For very woe.
Farewell!

It seems as 'twere but yesterday
We were the happiest twain,
When murmured sighs and joyous tears,

Love o'er the rose-white alleys
That flower on pale desert sands,
Love through the rose-red valleys
That burgeon in southern lands,
In cities ashine with pleasure
On the edge of a sea-girt clime,
Or mountains whose dim caves treasure
The temples of moon-crowned time,
On errands of joy or duty.
Wherever the ways you tread,
A carpet of ageless beauty
Is my heart for your feet outspread.

Love, whether Life betray you
And the malice of black-winged Fate
Shatter your dream and slay you

She

Like a serpent to the calling voice of flutes,
Glides my heart into thy fingers, O my Love!
Where the night-wind, like a lover, leans above
His jasmine-gardens and sirisha -bowers;
And on ripe boughs of many-coloured fruits
Bright parrots cluster like vermilion flowers.

He

Like the perfume in the petals of a rose,
Hides thy heart within my bosom, O my love!
Like a garland, like a jewel, like a dove
That hangs its nest in the asoka -tree.
Lie still, O love, until the morning sows

1

Render hate to those who hate you,
Deeper rolls the stream of strife;
Render love and healing kindness,
Hatred dies and sweet is life!

2

Pious precepts, smooth-tongued preacher,
Never acted, wisely meant,
Are like gay and golden blossoms
Without fragrance, without scent!

3

Dost thou shrink from death and suffering,
Dost thou cling to life from birth?

In Loves pure Sympathy, endeared Friend,
I know that secret Trials will attend,
And raise some Conflicts in thy tender Breast,
Such as by Pen cannot be well express'd:
But all things shall (as left upon Record)
Convene for good to them that fear the Lord.
Some latent cause, from Carnal Eye conceal'd,
May bring a Satisfaction, when reveal'd
By that Refulgent Light; whose sacred Ray
Leads on the Meek in Sion 's pleasant Way;
Whose Paths are Peace to them that persevere
To follow Jesus with an holy Fear;

A FRAGMENT .

Of Doves sweet gentle birds, the heaven-born Muse
Prepares to sing, their manners and what law
The blameless race obey, their cares and loves.
O sacred Virgin, that, to me unseen
Yet present, whispers nightly in my ear
Love-dited song or tale of martial Knight,
As best becomes the time, and aidful grants
Celestial grace implor'd: O! bounteous, say
What favourite maid in her first bloom of youth
Wilt choose to honour? seem I not to see
The laurel shake, and hear the voice divine

O Love! Thou Substance of the Royal Law,
Let thy sweet Influencing Power draw
Our troubled Hearts, in true Humility,
To wait on thee with holy Fervency:
For thou our Souls hast often visited,
That we might, by thy tender hand, be led
From Darkness unto Light; from Enmity,
Strife and Contention, unto Unity,
In Undefiled, in Unfeigned Love;
Which, tho' it may in Gentleness reprove,
Or otherwise instruct, it covers all.
Faults and Offences; yea, if any fall
Through Weakness, it bears up with ready Hand,