Poems (Dodd)/One Departed

ONE DEPARTED. "The beautiful is vanished, and returns not."

Come hither, see how peacefully she lies,
Though round her pillow many tears are shed;
Grief cannot chase the slumber from her eyes;
Come nearer, but step softly, she is dead!
O'er the pale sleeper let the dirge be sung,
Mourn for the beautiful, the loved, the young!

So have we seen a white rose in its pride,
With early blight upon its freshness laid,
Or the pure lilly drooping by its side,
For fairest flowers are ever first to fade;
And the fond heart soon learns this saddening truth
That the most loved die in the bloom of youth.

No more, O love, when fondly drawing nigh
With soothing words her sadness to beguile,
To spare thee pain will she suppress the sigh,
Or turn to bless thee with a patient smile:
Long, wasting hours of weariness and pain,
To the sweet sufferer ne'er can come again.

Released from earth, and borne on angel wing,
To a fair land from every sorrow free,
Sweet, welcome strains shall sister seraphs sing,
Soon shall the crystal gates unclose for thee:
O, gentle spirit! from thy heavenward track,
Why should the heart desire to call thee back?

Blest are the early called, the youthful dead;
Deep love waits round them till life's peaceful close;
For them, the sigh is breathed, the tear is shed,
And hallowed is the place of their repose;
There will affection often come to weep,
And with undying faith their memory keep.

Thou, whose fond eyes looked on her ripening bloom,
And saw the spoiler steal the rose away;
Thou, whose sad heart is buried in her tomb,
Fear not, an arm of love is still her stay:
In the dark vale the sinless Saviour trod,
Trust thy beloved to the arms of God.

Yet weep, 'tis meet, when one so dear must die;
Weep for the bird whose joyous song is o'er
Weep for the lilly that in dust shall lie;
Weep for the sunbeam that may shine no more.
O'er the pale sleeper let the dirge be sung;
Mourn for the beautiful, the loved, the young!