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Felicia Dorothea Hemans - Ode To Cheerfulness
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LOVELY nymph! with eye serene,
	Dimpled smile and frolic mien;
	Come, with airy step advancing,
	Come, with blooming Hebe dancing;
	O`er the meads I see thee straying—
	Youth and sport around thee playing—
	Gay content, thy sister fair,
	Twines a garland round thy hair.
	Thine the lip of roseate dye;
	Thine the pleasure-sparkling eye;
	Thine the cheek that softly glows,
	Brighter than the blushing rose!
	
	Guide me to thy fav`rite bow`rs,
	To deck thy rural shrine with flow`rs.
	In thy lowly, sylvan cell,
	Peace and virtue love to dwell;
	Ever let me own thy sway,
	Still to thee my tribute pay.

	When Zephyr waves his balmy wing,
	To kiss the sweets of May;
	When the soft melodies of spring
	Resound from ev`ry spray;
	With thee, sweet maid! I`ll rove along,
	And tread the morning dews; 
	To hear the wood-lark`s early song,
	To court the laughing muse.

	With thee I`ll rove, when summer pours
	Her treasures o`er the land;
	When fair Pomona sheds her stores,
	With kind, luxuriant hand;—

	When Autumn, bearing golden sheaves,
	Delights the happy swain;
	And softly paints the fading leaves,
	And crowns the fertile plain.

	And e`en in winter`s hoary reign
	I`ll wake my festive lays;
	Thy look shall prompt th` enliv`ning strain,
	And "brighten at the blaze!"

	I court thee in the vernal hours
	Of life`s enchanting morn;
	Thy hand shall strew my path with flow`rs
	And steal away the thorn:

	But when the dawn of youth is fled,
	The spring of life so fair;
	Ah! wilt thou then benignly shed
	Thy placid beams around my head,
	And steal my thoughts from care?

	Yes! gentle pow`r, thy heav`nly ray
	Shall cheer my morning bright;
	And e`en in life`s declining day,
	Shall gild the dark and thorny way,
	With mild, celestial light!
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