What love of thine own kind? What ignorance of Or, while the wings aspire, are heart and eye pain? With thy clear, keen joyance Languor cannot be; Shades of annoyance Never come near thee; Thou lovest, but ne'er knew love's sad satiety. Waking, or asleep, Thou of death must deem Things more true and deep Than we mortals dream, Both with thy nest upon the dewy ground? Thy nest, which thou canst drop into at will, Those quivering wings composed, that music still! To the last point of vision, and beyond, Mount, daring warbler ! — that love-prompted strain, 'Twixt thee and thine a never-failing bond, Thrills not the less the bosom of the plain; Yet mightst thou seem, proud privilege! to sing All independent of the leafy spring. Or how could thy notes flow in such a crystal Leave to the nightingale her shady wood; stream? Yet if we could scorn Hate and pride and fear, If we were things born Not to shed a tear, I know not how thy joy we ever should come near. Better than all measures Of delightful sound, Better than all treasures That in books are found, SWEET bird! that sing'st away the early hours To rocks, to springs, to rills, from leafy bowers Thy skill to poet were, thou scorner of the ground! A stain to human sense in sin that lowers. Teach me half the gladness That thy brain must know, Such harmonious madness From my lips would flow, What soul can be so sick which by thy songs And lift a reverent eye and thought to heaven! The world should listen then, as I am listening now. Sweet, artless songster! thou my mind dost raise PERCY BYSSHE SHELLEY. To airs of spheres, yes, and to angels' lays. Yet from out the darkness dreary Cometh still that cheerful note; Praiseful aye, and never weary, Is that little warbling throat. Thank him for his lesson's sake, Thank God's gentle minstrel there, Who, when storms make others quake, Sings of days that brighter were. HARRISON WEIR. THE HEATH-COCK. Good morrow to thy sable beak A maid there is in yonder tower, A fleeting moment of delight I sunned me in her cheering sight; 1 JOANNA BAILLIE. THE BOBOLINK. BOBOLINK! that in the meadow, If we should compare their worth When the ides of May are past, Filling youths' and maidens' dreams Thou dost fill each heart with pleasure A single note, so sweet and low, Gayest songster of the spring! Bobolink still may thy gladness THOMAS HILL ROBERT OF LINCOLN. MERRILY Swinging on brier and weed, Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, Snug and safe is that nest of ours, Robert of Lincoln is gayly dressed, Wearing a bright black wedding coat; Look, what a nice new coat is mine, Robert of Lincoln's Quaker wife, Pretty and quiet, with plain brown wings, Passing at home a patient life, Broods in the grass while her husband sings: Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, Spink, spank, spink; Brood, kind creature; you need not fear Thieves and robbers while I am here. Chee, chee, chee. Modest and shy as a nun is she, One weak chirp is her only note, Braggart and prince of braggarts is he, Pouring boasts from his little throat: Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, Spink, spank, spink; Never was I afraid of man; Catch me, cowardly knaves, if you can. Chee, chee, chee. Six white eggs on a bed of hay, Flecked with purple, a pretty sight! Soon as the little ones chip the shell This new life is likely to be Robert of Lincoln at length is made Off is his holiday garment laid, Bob-o'-link, bob-o'-link, Spink, spank, spink; Summer wanes; the children are grown; Spink, spank, spink; When you can pipe that merry old strain, Robert of Lincoln, come back again. Chee, chee, chee. WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT PERSEVERANCE. A SWALLOW in the spring Came to our granary, and 'neath the eaves Essayed to make a nest, and there did bring Wet earth and straw and leaves. Day after day she toiled With patient art, but ere her work was crowned, Some sad mishap the tiny fabric spoiled, And dashed it to the ground. She found the ruin wrought, But not cast down, forth from the place she flew, And with her mate fresh earth and grasses brought And built her nest anew. But scarcely had she placed The last soft feather on its ample floor, When wicked hand, or chance, again laid waste And wrought the ruin o'er. But still her heart she kept, And toiled again, and last night, hearing calls, I looked, and lo! three little swallows slept Within the earth-made walls. What truth is here, O man! Hath hope been smitten in its early dawn? Have clouds o'ercast thy purpose, trust, or plan? Have faith, and struggle on! R. S. S. ANDROS. THE SWALLOW. THE gorse is yellow on the heath, The banks with speedwell flowers are gay, The oaks are budding; and beneath, The hawthorn soon will bear the wreath, The silver wreath of May. THE rain-drops plash, and the dead leaves fall, On spire and cornice and mould; The swallows gather, and twitter and call, "We must follow the summer, come one, come ali For the winter is now so cold." Just listen awhile to the wordy war, As to whither the way shall tend, Says one, "I know the skies are fair And myriad insects float in air Where the ruins of Athens stand. "And every year when the brown leaves fall, I build my nest on the corniced wall, From the Turk's besieging gun." Says another, "My cosey home I fit The sky is overcast, Yet stars shall rise at last, And angels' silver voices stir the air. ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER. THE NIGHTINGALE. THE rose looks out in the valley, To the rosy vale, where the nightingale The virgin is on the river-side, Culling the lemons pale : Thither, - yes! thither will I go, To the rosy vale, where the nightingale Sings his song of woe. The fairest fruit her hand hath culled, "T is for her lover all : Thither, - yes! thither will I go, To the rosy vale, where the nightingale In her hat of straw, for her gentle swain, GIL VICENTE (Portuguese). Translation |