| Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882). Complete Poetical Works. 1893. | | | | Birds of Passage | Flight the Fifth.
To the River Yvette |
| | | O LOVELY river of Yvette! | |
| O darling river! like a bride, | |
| Some dimpled, bashful, fair Lisette, | |
| Thou goest to wed the Orge’s tide. | |
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| Maincourt, and lordly Dampierre, | 5 |
| See and salute thee on thy way, | |
| And, with a blessing and a prayer, | |
| Ring the sweet bells of St. Forget. | |
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| The valley of Chevreuse in vain | |
| Would hold thee in its fond embrace; | 10 |
| Thou glidest from its arms again | |
| And hurriest on with swifter pace. | |
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| Thou wilt not stay; with restless feet, | |
| Pursuing still thine onward flight, | |
| Thou goest as one in haste to meet | 15 |
| Her sole desire, her heart’s delight. | |
| |
| O lovely river of Yvette! | |
| O darling stream! on balanced wings | |
| The wood-birds sang the chansonnette | |
| That here a wandering poet sings. | 20 | | | |
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