Starlight

Ah no! tho' dear the sunshine bright,

the gladd'ning golden glance of Day;

not half so dear to me that ray

as the pale, silv'ry soft starlight,

which calls up Mem'ry's starry beam

to gild the past, the twilight stream!

It smiles on me with magic power

and checking Times' too rapid flight,

brings back that well-remember'd night,

that sweet, that sad, that parting hour,

whose mingled joyance and regret

I never, never can forget!

The dash of the eternal sea,

the voice of God was in our ears;

o'er us the blue sky's myriad spheres,

those worlds where we one day may be!

Heav'n, heav'n itself hath writ above

those lustrous lines of hope and love!

And in our hearts was a mix'd feeling

of pain and pleasure, friendship's glow,

o'erbrimming e'en to overflow,

too tender for the lip's revealing!

Immortal as those orbs of light,

an as our souls that own its might!

They smile on me like angels fair!

at sight of them sweet tears arise,

delicious dews, and fill mine eyes.

Oh! lovelier they than all noon's glare;

a thousand, thousand times more dear!

For when they smile, my friend is near!