English

It fell one evening hour
When silence all was keeping,
I stole into the bower
Where Nellie lay asleeping.

She struggled hard to fly,
Her fingers fiercely tearing,
But soon with plaintive cry
She yielded to my daring.

Beneath me close embraced
I held her safe in cover.
Love spurred me on to haste,
And quick the race was over.

" You've had your will," she sobbed,
" And stolen all my treasure:
Next week another robbed
Will weep to make you pleasure."

Love took his seal and in thy breast
The image of me there impressed,
I in my heart thy picture have
Which that same artist did engrave.
Pluto below, the Sun above,
Shall see the witness of my love,
And never, never did I fear
That thou my likeness forth would tear.
So when we to death's judgment come
Thou must endure the traitor's doom.

The rose no garland needs, nor you, my queen,
Proud silken robes and veils of jewelled sheen;
Pearls cannot match your bosom lying bare,
Nor gold the glory of your tangled hair.
The burning sapphires of the Indian mine
Before you pale; your eyes more brilliant shine.
Your close-joined breasts Love's magic girdle make
And bees their honey from your wet lips take.
Nay, I would never dare before your throne to come,
Save that in those bright eyes soft Hope still makes his home.

Yesterday I sat between
Kate and Flo;
Flo loves me and I love Kate,
I was in a pretty state:
What was I to do?

Florence quick to me did lean,
Kissed me so:
Jealous of my other dear,
She will tell on us, I fear.
What then could I do?

I was feeling rather mean,
Longed to go;
Turned to Kitty like a thief,
Snatched one kiss—'twas all too brief—
That I had to do.

But I'm sure there'll be a scene
'Twixt the two;
Kisses into trouble lead,
Whether given or received.

If once a man has bitten been,
Mad dogs, they say, by him are seen
Wherever waters flow;
And so perchance Love's frenzied bite
Has robbed me of my senses quite
And I bewildered go.
The babbling brook, the foaming sea,
The wine cup, each reflects but thee.

On the Beach I wait for you:
Do not, Phyllis, faithless be,
Though last year I was untrue,
Went across the sea.
Your dear eyes have brought me home,
Never more from you to roam.

Why blame the pranks that love does ever play?
What though my eyes be wet, my temples gray?
These cares are but the signs of passion's fire,
Of sleepless nights and unfulfilled desire,
Only the flame within me freshly burns,
All else to age and feebleness returns.
Yet though my sides are wrinkled in their prime,
My neck all loose and slack before its time,
If thou, dear heart, to love me now will deign
I shall grow young, my hair turn black again.

When some tiara bright
About your head is bound
And like a goddess crowned
Your beauty dazzles sight,
My soul with rapture swift does thrill
And knows itself your captive still.

When loose your tresses lie
And o'er them softly drawn
A neckerchief of lawn
Protects them from men's eyes,
While all in vain my gaze I turn,
My thoughts with longing madly burn.

But when those locks revealed
Send down their stream of gold
And in my hand I hold
Their splendour unconcealed,

I saw the lovers. Held in passion's chain
They kissed and clipped, then clipped and kissed again,
If thus they might their endless thirst abate
And dull the torment of their parted state.
Fain were they in each other's heart to hide
And so at last a change of raiment tried.

He, as Achilles once on Scyros shore,
A maiden's smock upon his body wore;
She, like Diana kilted to the knee,
Strode boldly forth in manly tunic free.
But soon their lips once more together pressed,
Unquenched the craving of their love confessed.

Lord of all being, throned afar,
Thy glory flames from sun and star;
Centre and soul of every sphere,
Yet to each loving heart how near!

Sun of our life, thy quickening ray
Sheds on our path the glow of day:
Star of our hope, thy softened light
Cheers the long watches of the night.

Our midnight is thy smile withdrawn;
Our noontide is thy gracious dawn;
Our rainbow arch, thy mercy's sign:
All, save the clouds of sin, are thine.

Lord of all life, below, above,