Dear Anna, hast ne'er heard it told
How florists have the curious power
To graft on some rude garden-plant
A tender and exquisite flower?
Thus are our natures made as one,
In union mystic and divine;
Thus, sweetest rose of womanhood,
Thy life is blooming into mine.

" Forget " thee! Whence the childish fear?
Ah, vain would be such heart-recalling!
Have I not felt thine angel smiles, —
Thy tears upon my bosom falling?
How oft, when, through our lattice stealing,
The moonlight came in quivering gleams,

A rose once pressed against thy lips,
Then gayly flung to me,
Is all the gift I treasure up
In memory of thee;
It bringeth back that golden time,
Too beautiful to last,
The glad and love-lit past, Therese,
The glad and love-lit past!

Then comes the memory of the change
Which fell upon thy heart,
As falls the frost upon the rose
When summer suns depart;
And now returns that weary time
With doubts and glooms o'ercast,
The sad and mournful past, Therese,
The sad and mournful past!

Love has given me my singing, —
Take then what you have taken.
All the longing and denial,
The unrest my life has shaken,
I forgive. Much sorrow love can bring,
But it was love that stirred my lips to sing!

Oh, you taught to me my hunger,
You may claim me by that token;
But the word my hunger taught me
That my hunger might be spoken —
This to me, to me — not you — belongs;
You had my love, but mine shall be my songs!

There was a rose, that blushing grew
Within my life's young bower;
The angels sprinkled holy dew
Upon the blessed flower.
I glory to resign it, love,
Though it was dear to me;
Amid thy laurels twine it, love,
It only blooms for thee.

There was a rich and radiant gem
I long kept hid from sight;
Lost from some seraph's diadem,
It shone with heaven's own light!
The world could never tear it, love,
That gem of gems, from me;
Yet on thy fond breast wear it, love,
It only shines for thee.

They said: " Thus do we choose,
And thus far we will go,
And the rest of love, refuse;
The rest we need not know
And never need to dread;
Or we will put it off until a fairer day. "

But love was more than they,
And where love led
They had to follow in their own despite:
Beyond those boundaries their thoughts had named.

Ah, little they knew of love's impetuous might,
To dream that they could stop love in full course —
Ah, little they knew, to dream love could be tamed!

I leave thee, love! In vain hast thou
 The God of life implored;
My clinging soul is torn from thine,
 My faithful, my adored!
My last gift,—I have on it breathed
 In blessing and in prayer;
So lay it close, close to thy heart,
 This little lock of hair!

I know thou wilt think tenderly
 And lovingly on me,
Thou wilt forget my waywardness,
 When I am gone from thee;
Thou wilt remember all my love,
 Which made thee think me fair;
Thou wilt with many tears be-gem
 This little lock of hair!

There rode through the country three gallants so fine,
They came to the Landlady, hard by the Rhine.

" Landlady, hast thou good ale and good wine?
And how is that beautiful daughter of thine? "

" My ale and my wine are fresh and clear,
But my dear little daughter lies dead on her bier. "

And when they were come to the chamber within,
All cold in her coffin, the maiden was seen.

The first, from her face the death-veil he took,
And looked at her long with a sorrowful look;

I.

On earth I know immortal love,
And taste of all the joys above;
My soul enjoys the great I AM ;
And there's no pleasure but in him.

II.

My light is but a feeble ray,
Yet it is from eternal day;
Nay, joys are by my Jesus giv'n,
And he is all the joys of heav'n.

III.

Though in my self I am but death,
Yet Christ in me the word of faith,
Lifts up my heart to realms above,
And feeds me with immortal love.

IV.

O when shall I be wholly free?
I want no joys, O GOD , but thee;

I.

All hail thou lovely Lamb of GOD !
This day with us make thine abode,
And cheer our spirits with thy love;
We long to see thy smiling face,
And run with thee the christian race,
To thine eternal realms above.

II.

O heal the sick and raise the dead,
And feed us with immortal bread;
Warm ev'ry heart, loose ev'ry tongue;
O let thy love our souls inflame,

Ah, more than my mouth thirsts for your drink!
Up creeps desire, warm through my blood,
Surging into my heart, whence it must sink
And ebb away, until the newer flood
Breaks over me, straining in my distress.
And still we keep us tarrying at the kiss!
My readiness complete do you not guess,
I cannot tell it, cannot ask my bliss —
I cannot ask. With all my will I plead
My lips to speak, and still they hold me dumb —
Dumb, waiting you, who only wait my need!
O wait no longer, love; O love, come! come.