| |
| I BLESS thee, native shore! | |
| Thy woodlands gay, and waters sparkling clear! | |
| ’T is like a dream once more | |
| The music of thy thousand waves to hear, | |
| As, murmuring up the sand, | 5 |
| With kisses bright they lave the sloping land. | |
| |
| The gorgeous sun looks down, | |
| Bathing thee gladly in his noontide ray; | |
| And o’er thy headlands brown | |
| With loving light the tints of evening play. | 10 |
| Thy whispering breezes fear | |
| To break the calm so softly hallowed here. | |
| |
| Here, in her green domain, | |
| The stamp of Nature’s sovereignty is found; | |
| With scarce disputed reign | 15 |
| She dwells in all the solitude around. | |
| And here she loves to wear | |
| The regal garb that suits a queen so fair. | |
| |
| Full oft my heart hath yearned | |
| For thy sweet shades and vales of sunny rest; | 20 |
| Even as the swan returned, | |
| Stoops to repose upon thy azure breast, | |
| I greet each welcome spot | |
| Forsaken long, but ne’er, ah, ne’er forgot! | |
| |
| ’T was here that memory grew, | 25 |
| ’T was here that childhood’s hopes and cares were left; | |
| Its early freshness, too,— | |
| Ere droops the soul, of her best joys bereft. | |
| Where are they?—o’er the track | |
| Of cold years, I would call the wanderers back! | 30 |
| |
| They must be with thee still! | |
| Thou art unchanged,—as bright the sunbeams play: | |
| From not a tree or hill | |
| Hath time one hue of beauty snatched away. | |
| Unchanged alike should be | 35 |
| The blessed things so late resigned to thee. | |
| |
| Give back, O smiling deep, | |
| The heart’s fair sunshine, and the dreams of youth | |
| That in thy bosom sleep,— | |
| Life’s April innocence, and trustful truth! | 40 |
| The tones that breathed of yore | |
| In thy lone murmurs, once again restore! | |
| |
| Where have they vanished all? | |
| Only the heedless winds in answer sigh; | |
| Still rushing at thy call, | 45 |
| With reckless sweep the streamlet flashes by! | |
| And idle as the air, | |
| Or fleeting stream, my soul’s insatiate prayer. | |
| |
| Home of sweet thoughts, farewell! | |
| Where’er through changeful life my lot may be, | 50 |
| A deep and hallowed spell | |
| Is on thy waters and thy woods for me, | |
| Though vainly fancy craves | |
| Its childhood with the music of thy waves. | |
| |
