| Andrew Macphail, comp. The Book of Sorrow. 1916. | | | XXVII. Vain Longing
‘Surprised by Joy’ | | By William Wordsworth (1770–1850) |
| | | SURPRISED by joy—impatient as the Wind | |
| I turned to share the transport—Oh! with whom | |
| But Thee, deep buried in the silent tomb, | |
| That spot which no vicissitude can find? | |
| Love, faithful love, recalled thee to my mind— | 5 |
| But how could I forget thee? Through what power, | |
| Even for the least division of an hour, | |
| Have I been so beguiled as to be blind | |
| To my most grievous loss?—That thought’s return | |
| Was the worst pang that sorrow ever bore, | 10 |
| Save one, one only, when I stood forlorn, | |
| Knowing my heart’s best treasure was no more; | |
| That neither present time, nor years unborn | |
| Could to my sight that heavenly face restore. | | | | |
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