Epithalamium

ANOTHER VERSION OF THE PRECEDING.

Night, with all thine eyes look down!Darkness shed its holiest dew!When ever smiled the inconstant moonOn a pair so true?5Hence, coy hour! and quench thy light,Lest eyes see their own delight!Hence, swift hour! and thy loved flightOft renew.

BOYS:10O joy! O fear! what may be doneIn the absence of the sun?Come along!The golden gates of sleep unbar!When strength and beauty meet together,15Kindles their image like a starIn a sea of glassy weather.Hence, coy hour! and quench thy light,Lest eyes see their own delight!Hence, swift hour! and thy loved flight20Oft renew.

GIRLS:O joy! O fear! what may be doneIn the absence of the sun?Come along!25Fairies! sprites! and angels, keep her!Holiest powers, permit no wrong!And return, to wake the sleeper,Dawn, ere it be long.Hence, swift hour! and quench thy light,30Lest eyes see their own delight!Hence, coy hour! and thy loved flightOft renew.

BOYS AND GIRLS:O joy! O fear! what will be done35In the absence of the sun?Come along!

ANOTHER VERSION OF THE SAME.

BOYS SING:Night! with all thine eyes look down!40Darkness! weep thy holiest dew!Never smiled the inconstant moonOn a pair so true.Haste, coy hour! and quench all light,Lest eyes see their own delight!45Haste, swift hour! and thy loved flightOft renew!

GIRLS SING:Fairies, sprites, and angels, keep her!Holy stars! permit no wrong!50And return, to wake the sleeper,Dawn, ere it be long!O joy! O fear! there is not oneOf us can guess what may be doneIn the absence of the sun:--55Come along!

BOYS:Oh! linger long, thou envious eastern lampIn the dampCaves of the deep!60

GIRLS:Nay, return, Vesper! urge thy lazy car!Swift unbarThe gates of Sleep!

CHORUS:65The golden gate of Sleep unbar,When Strength and Beauty, met together,Kindle their image, like a starIn a sea of glassy weather.May the purple mist of love70Round them rise, and with them move,Nourishing each tender gemWhich, like flowers, will burst from them.As the fruit is to the treeMay their children ever be!75