PEACE BE AROUND THEE. AIR-Scotch. PEACE be around thee, wherever thou rovest If sorrow e'er this calm should break, May even thy tears pass off so lightly, Like spring-showers, they'll only make The smiles that follow shine more brightly! Time, who sheds his blight o'er all, And daily dooms some joy to death, O'er thee let years so gently fall, They shall not crush one flow'r beneath! As half in shade, and half in sun, This world along its path advances, May that side the sun's upon, Be all that shall ever meet thy glances! COMMON SENSE AND GENIUS. WHILE I TOUCH THE STRING. AIR-French. WHILE I touch the string, Common Sense, one night, With Genius on his rambles. Common Sense went on, Many wise things saying; While the light that shone Soon set Genius straying. One his eye ne'er raised From the path before him; T'other idly gazed On each night cloud o'er him. While I touch the string, &c. So they came at last, To a shady river; Common Sense soon pass'd Safe, as he doth ever. While the boy, whose look Was in heav'n that minute, Never saw the brook But tumbled headlong in it. While I touch the string, &c. How the wise one smiled, When safe o'er the torrent, At that youth, so wild, Dripping from the current. Sense went home to-bed, Genius left to shiver On the bank, 'tis said, Died of that cold river! While I touch the string, &c. THEN, FARE THEE WELL AIR-Old English. THEN fare thee well, my own dear love, The pain of parting thus! Had we but known, since first we met, Some few short hours of bliss, We might, in numb'ring them, forget The deep, deep pain of this, Dear love! The deep, deep pain of this. But no, alas! we've never seen One glimpse of pleasure's ray, But still there came some cloud between, Yet ev'n could those sad moments last, Far dearer to my heart, Were hours of grief together past, Dear love! Than years of mirth apart. Farewell, our hope was born in fears, Dear love! Like them in tears it sets. |