1
- The roses of Love glad the garden of life,
- Though nurtur’d ’mid weeds dropping pestilent dew,
- Till Time crops the leaves with unmerciful knife,
- Or prunes them for ever, in Love’s last adieu!
2
- In vain, with endearments, we soothe the sad heart,
- In vain do we vow for an age to be true;
- The chance of an hour may command us to part,
- Or Death disunite us, in Love’s last adieu!
3
- Still Hope, breathing peace, through the grief-swollen breast,
- Will whisper, “Our meeting we yet may renew”:
- With this dream of deceit, half our sorrow’s represt,
- Nor taste we the poison, of Love’s last adieu!
4
- Oh! mark you yon pair, in the sunshine of youth,
- Love twin’d round their childhood his flow’rs as they grew;
- They flourish awhile, in the season of truth,
- Till chill’d by the winter of Love’s last adieu!
5
- Sweet lady! why thus doth a tear steal its way,
- Down a cheek which outrivals thy bosom in hue?
- Yet why do I ask?—to distraction a prey,
- Thy reason has perish’d, with Love’s last adieu!
6
- Oh! who is yon Misanthrope, shunning mankind?
- From cities to caves of the forest he flew:
- There, raving, he howls his complaint to the wind;
- The mountains reverberate Love’s last adieu!
7
- Now Hate rules a heart which in Love’s easy chains,
- Once Passion’s tumultuous blandishments knew;
- Despair now inflames the dark tide of his veins,
- He ponders, in frenzy, on Love’s last adieu!
8
- How he envies the wretch, with a soul wrapt in steel!
- His pleasures are scarce, yet his troubles are few,
- Who laughs at the pang that he never can feel,
- And dreads not the anguish of Love’s last adieu!
9
- Youth flies, life decays, even hope is o’ercast;
- No more, with Love’s former devotion, we sue:
- He spreads his young wing, he retires with the blast;
- The shroud of affection is Love’s last adieu!
10
- In this life of probation, for rapture divine,
- Astrea declares that some penance is due;
- From him, who has worshipp’d at Love’s gentle shrine,
- The atonement is ample, in Love’s last adieu!
11
- Who kneels to the God, on his altar of light
- Must myrtle and cypress alternately strew:
- His myrtle, an emblem of purest delight,
- His cypress, the garland of Love’s last adieu!
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