While Gazing on the Moon's Light
While Gazing on the Moon's Light | |
Thomas Moore, from Irish Melodies, vol. 3
| While gazing on the moon's light, A moment from her smile I turn'd, To look at orbs that, more bright, In lone and distant glory burn'd. But too far Each proud star, For me to feel its warming flame; Much more dear That mild sphere, Which near our planet smiling came;* Thus, Mary, be but thou my own, While brighter eyes unheeded play, I'll love those moonlight looks alone That bless my home and guide my way. | 2. The day had sunk in dim showers, But midnight now, with lustre meet, Illumined all the pale flowers, Like hope upon a mourner's cheek. I said (while The moon's smile Play'd o'er a stream, in dimpling bliss,) The moon looks On many brooks, The brook can see no moon but this;** And thus, I thought, our fortunes run, For many a lover looks to thee, While oh! I feel there is but one, One Mary in the world for me. |
In the Entretiens d'Ariste, among other ingenious emblems, we find a starry sky without a moon, with these words, Non mille, quod absens.
** This image was suggested by the following thought, which occurs somewhere in Sir William Jones's works: "The moon looks upon many night-flowers; the night-flower sees but one moon." - notes from Irish Melodies.