| Fuess and Stearns, comps. The Little Book of Society Verse. 1922. | | | | The Time I’ve Lost in Wooing | | By Thomas Moore |
| | | THE TIME I’ve lost in wooing, | |
| In watching and pursuing | |
| The light that lies | |
| In woman’s eyes, | |
| Has been my heart’s undoing. | 5 |
| Though Wisdom oft has sought me, | |
| I scorned the lore she brought me, | |
| My only books | |
| Were woman’s looks, | |
| And folly’s all they’ve taught me. | 10 |
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| Her smile when Beauty granted, | |
| I hung with gaze enchanted, | |
| Like him the sprite, | |
| Whom maids by night | |
| Oft met in glen that’s haunted. | 15 |
| Like him, too, Beauty won me | |
| But while her eyes were on me, | |
| If once their ray | |
| Was turned away, | |
| Oh! winds could not outrun me. | 20 |
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| And are those follies going? | |
| And is my proud heart growing | |
| Too cold or wise | |
| For brilliant eyes | |
| Again to set it glowing? | 25 |
| No, vain, alas! th’ endeavour | |
| From bonds so sweet to sever; | |
| Poor Wisdom’s chance | |
| Against a glance | |
| Is now as weak as ever. | 30 | | | |
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