To keep her tents until the morrow,
Nor send such dreams to make me weep.

Before the lusty day was springing,
Before the tired moon was set,

I dreamed I heard my dead love singing,
And when I woke my eyes were wet.

THE CROWN OF YEARS
Years grow and gather--each a gem

Lustrous with laughter and with tears,
And cunning Time a crown of years

Contrives for her who weareth them.
No chance can snatch this diadem,

It trembles not with hopes or fears,
It shines before the rose appears,

And when the leaves forsake her stem.
Time sets his jewels one by one.

Then wherefore mourn the wreaths that lie
In attic chambers of the past?

They withered ere the day was done.
This coronal will never die,

Nor shall you lose it at the last.
HOPE DEFERRED

When the weary night is fled,
And the morning sky is red,

Then my heart doth rise and say,
`Surely she will come to-day.'

In the golden blaze of noon,
`Surely she is coming soon.'

In the twilight, `Will she come?'
Then my heart with fear is dumb.

When the night wind in the trees
Plays its mournful melodies,

Then I know my trust is vain,
And she will not come again.

THE LIFE OF EARTH
The life of earth, how full of pain,

Which greets us on our day of birth,
Nor leaves us while we yet retain

The life of earth.
There is a shadow on our mirth,

Our sun is blotted out with rain,
And all our joys are little worth.

Yet oh, when life begins to wane,
And we must sail the doubtful firth,

How wild the longing to regain
The life of earth!

GOLDEN DREAM
Golden dream of summer morn,

By a well-remembered stream
In the land where I was born,

Golden dream!
Ripples, by the glancing beam

Lightly kissed in playful scorn,
Meadows moist with sunlit steam.

When I lift my eyelids worn
Like a fair mirage you seem,

In the winter dawn forlorn,
Golden dream!

TEARS
Mourn that which will not come again,

The joy, the strength of early years.
Bow down thy head, and let thy tears

Water the grave where hope lies slain.
For tears are like a summer rain,

To murmur in a mourner's ears,
To soften all the field of fears,

To moisten valleys parched with pain.
And though thy tears will not awake

What lies beneath of young or fair
And sleeps so sound it draws no breath,

Yet, watered thus, the sod may break
In flowers which sweeten all the air,

And fill with life the place of death.
THE HOUSE OF SLEEP

When we have laid aside our last endeavour,
And said farewell to one or two that weep,

And issued from the house of life for ever,
To find a lodging in the house of sleep -

With eyes fast shut, in sunless chambers lying,
With folded arms unmoved upon the breast,

Beyond the noise of sorrow and of crying,
Beyond the dread of dreaming, shall we rest?

Or shall there come at last desire of waking,
To walk again on hillsides that we know,

When sunrise through the cold white mist is breaking,
Or in the stillness of the after-glow?

Shall there be yearning for the sound of voices,
The sight of faces, and the touch of hands,

The will that works, the spirit that rejoices,
The heart that feels, the mind that understands?

Shall dreams and memories crowding from the distance,
Shall ghosts of old ambition or of mirth,

Create for us a shadow of existence,
A dim reflection of the life of earth?

And being dead, and powerless to recover
The substance of the show whereon we gaze,

Shall we be likened to the hapless lover,
Who broods upon the unreturning days?

Not so: for we have known how swift to perish
Is man's delight when youth and health take wing,

Until the winter leaves him nought to cherish
But recollections of a vanished spring.

Dream as we may, desire of life shall never
Disturb our slumbers in the house of sleep.

Yet oh, to think we may not greet for ever
The one or two that, when we leave them, weep!

THE OUTCAST'S FAREWELL
The sun is banished,

The daylight vanished,
No rosy traces

Are left behind.
Here in the meadow

I watch the shadow
Of forms and faces

Upon your blind.
Through swift transitions,

In new positions,
My eyes still follow

One shape most fair.
My heart delaying

Awhile, is playing
With pleasures hollow,

Which mock despair.
I feel so lonely,

I long once only
To pass an hour

With you, O sweet!
To touch your fingers,

Where fragrance lingers
From some rare flower,

And kiss your feet.
But not this even

To me is given.
Of all sad mortals

Most sad am I,
Never to meet you,

Never to greet you,
Nor pass your portals

Before I die.
All men scorn me,

Not one will mourn me,
When from their city

I pass away.
Will you to-morrow

Recall with sorrow
Him whom with pity

You saw to-day?
Outcast and lonely,

One thing only
Beyond misgiving

I hold for true,
That, had you known me,

You would have shown me
A life worth living -

A life for you.
Yes: five years younger

My manhood's hunger
Had you come filling

With plenty sweet,
My life so nourished,

Had grown and flourished,
Had God been willing

That we should meet.
How vain to fashion

From dreams and passion
The rich existence

Which might have been!
Can God's own power

Recall the hour,
Or bridge the distance

That lies between?
Before the morning,

From pain and scorning
I sail death's river

To sleep or hell.
To you is given

The life of heaven.
Farewell for ever,

Farewell, farewell!
YET A LITTLE SLEEP

Beside the drowsy streams that creep
Within this island of repose,

Oh, let us rest from cares and woes,
Oh, let us fold our hands to sleep!

Is it ignoble, then, to keep
Awhile from where the rough wind blows,

And all is strife, and no man knows
What end awaits him on the deep?

The voyager may rest awhile,
When rest invites, and yet may be

Neither a sluggard nor a craven.
With strength renewed he quits the isle,

And putting out again to sea,
Makes sail for his desired haven.

LOST LIBERTY
Of our own will we are not free,

When freedom lies within our power.
We wait for some decisive hour,

To rise and take our liberty.
Still we delay, content to be

Imprisoned in our own high tower.

• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)
• cunning [´kʌniŋ] a.&n.狡猾(诡诈)的 (初中英语单词)
• snatch [snætʃ] v.&n.抢，夺取，抓住 (初中英语单词)
• twilight [´twailait] n.黎明；黄昏 (初中英语单词)
• soften [´sɔfən] v.使(变)软(柔和) (初中英语单词)
• farewell [feə´wel] int.再见 n.&a.告别 (初中英语单词)
• ambition [æm´biʃən] n.雄心，野心；企图 (初中英语单词)
• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)
• daylight [´deilait] n.日光；黎明 (初中英语单词)
• doubtful [´dautful] a.怀疑的，可疑的 (高中英语单词)
• longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)
• moisten [´mɔisən] v.沾湿；变潮湿 (高中英语单词)
• lodging [´lɔdʒiŋ] n.寄宿，住宿 (高中英语单词)
• sunrise [´sʌnraiz] n.日出，黎明 (高中英语单词)
• stillness [´stilnis] n.不动；无声，寂静 (高中英语单词)
• fragrance [´freigrəns] n.芬芳，芳香 (高中英语单词)
• drowsy [´drauzi] a.困倦的；催眠的 (高中英语单词)
• strife [straif] n.竞争；吵架；冲突 (高中英语单词)
• forsake [fə´seik] vt.遗弃，抛弃，摒绝 (英语四级单词)
• wherefore [´weəfɔ:] ad.为什么；因此 (英语四级单词)
• mournful [´mɔ:nful] a.令人沮丧的 (英语四级单词)
• sweeten [´swi:tn] v.(使)变甜(可爱) (英语四级单词)
• nought [nɔ:t] n.=naught (英语四级单词)
• bridge [bridʒ] n.桥(梁)；鼻梁；桥牌 (英语四级单词)
• decisive [di´saisiv] a.决定性的，确定的 (英语四级单词)
• playful [´pleifəl] a.爱玩耍的；幽默的 (英语六级单词)
• unmoved [ʌn´mu:vd] a.无动于衷的；坚定的 (英语六级单词)
• powerless [´pauələs] a.软弱的；无资源的 (英语六级单词)
• whereon [weər´ɔn] ad.在什么上面；因此 (英语六级单词)
• hapless [´hæpləs] a.不幸的；倒楣的 (英语六级单词)
• ignoble [ig´nəubəl] a.卑鄙的，无耻的 (英语六级单词)