VII |
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VII
I loved, and was beloved again -
They tell me, Sire, you never knew
Those gentle frailties; if `tis true,
I shorten all my joy or pain;
To you `twould seem absurd as vain
But all men are not born to reign,
Or o`er their passions, or as you
Thus o`er themselves and nations too.
I am - or rather was - a prince,
A chief of thousands, and could lead
Them on where each would foremost bleed;
But could not o`er myself evince
The like control - but to resume:
I loved, and was beloved again;
In sooth, it is a happy doom,
But yet where happiest ends in pain. -
We met in secret, and the hour
Which led me to that lady`s bower
Was fiery expectation`s dower.
My days and nights were nothing - all
Except that hour which doth recall
In the long lapse from youth to age
No other like itself - I`d give
The Ukraine back again to live
It o`er once more - and be a page,
The happy page, who was the lord
Of one soft heart, and his own sword,
And had no other gem nor wealth
Save nature`s gift of youth and health.
We met in secret - doubly sweet,
Some say, they find it so to meet;
I know not that - I would have given
My life but to have called her mine
In the full view of earth and heaven;
For I did oft and long repine
That we could only meet by stealth.
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