13PATER FILIOSense with keenest edge unusèd,Yet unsteel’d by scathing fire;Lovely feet as yet unbruisèdOn the ways of dark desire;Sweetest hope that lookest smilingO’er the wilderness defiling!Why such beauty, to be blightedBy the swarm of foul destruction?Why such innocence delighted,When sin stalks to thy seduction?All the litanies e’er chauntedShall not keep thy faith undaunted.I have pray’d the sainted MorningTo unclasp her hands to hold thee;From resignful Eve’s adorningStol’n a robe of peace to enfold thee;With all charms of man’s contrivingArm’d thee for thy lonely striving.Me too once unthinking Nature,—Whence Love’s timeless mockery took me,—Fashion’d so divine a creature,Yea, and like a beast forsook me.I forgave, but tell the measureOf her crime in thee, my treasure.
13PATER FILIOSense with keenest edge unusèd,Yet unsteel’d by scathing fire;Lovely feet as yet unbruisèdOn the ways of dark desire;Sweetest hope that lookest smilingO’er the wilderness defiling!Why such beauty, to be blightedBy the swarm of foul destruction?Why such innocence delighted,When sin stalks to thy seduction?All the litanies e’er chauntedShall not keep thy faith undaunted.I have pray’d the sainted MorningTo unclasp her hands to hold thee;From resignful Eve’s adorningStol’n a robe of peace to enfold thee;With all charms of man’s contrivingArm’d thee for thy lonely striving.Me too once unthinking Nature,—Whence Love’s timeless mockery took me,—Fashion’d so divine a creature,Yea, and like a beast forsook me.I forgave, but tell the measureOf her crime in thee, my treasure.
Sense with keenest edge unusèd,Yet unsteel’d by scathing fire;Lovely feet as yet unbruisèdOn the ways of dark desire;Sweetest hope that lookest smilingO’er the wilderness defiling!Why such beauty, to be blightedBy the swarm of foul destruction?Why such innocence delighted,When sin stalks to thy seduction?All the litanies e’er chauntedShall not keep thy faith undaunted.I have pray’d the sainted MorningTo unclasp her hands to hold thee;From resignful Eve’s adorningStol’n a robe of peace to enfold thee;With all charms of man’s contrivingArm’d thee for thy lonely striving.Me too once unthinking Nature,—Whence Love’s timeless mockery took me,—Fashion’d so divine a creature,Yea, and like a beast forsook me.I forgave, but tell the measureOf her crime in thee, my treasure.
Sense with keenest edge unusèd,Yet unsteel’d by scathing fire;Lovely feet as yet unbruisèdOn the ways of dark desire;Sweetest hope that lookest smilingO’er the wilderness defiling!Why such beauty, to be blightedBy the swarm of foul destruction?Why such innocence delighted,When sin stalks to thy seduction?All the litanies e’er chauntedShall not keep thy faith undaunted.I have pray’d the sainted MorningTo unclasp her hands to hold thee;From resignful Eve’s adorningStol’n a robe of peace to enfold thee;With all charms of man’s contrivingArm’d thee for thy lonely striving.Me too once unthinking Nature,—Whence Love’s timeless mockery took me,—Fashion’d so divine a creature,Yea, and like a beast forsook me.I forgave, but tell the measureOf her crime in thee, my treasure.
Sense with keenest edge unusèd,Yet unsteel’d by scathing fire;Lovely feet as yet unbruisèdOn the ways of dark desire;Sweetest hope that lookest smilingO’er the wilderness defiling!
Sense with keenest edge unusèd,
Yet unsteel’d by scathing fire;
Lovely feet as yet unbruisèd
On the ways of dark desire;
Sweetest hope that lookest smiling
O’er the wilderness defiling!
Why such beauty, to be blightedBy the swarm of foul destruction?Why such innocence delighted,When sin stalks to thy seduction?All the litanies e’er chauntedShall not keep thy faith undaunted.
Why such beauty, to be blighted
By the swarm of foul destruction?
Why such innocence delighted,
When sin stalks to thy seduction?
All the litanies e’er chaunted
Shall not keep thy faith undaunted.
I have pray’d the sainted MorningTo unclasp her hands to hold thee;From resignful Eve’s adorningStol’n a robe of peace to enfold thee;With all charms of man’s contrivingArm’d thee for thy lonely striving.
I have pray’d the sainted Morning
To unclasp her hands to hold thee;
From resignful Eve’s adorning
Stol’n a robe of peace to enfold thee;
With all charms of man’s contriving
Arm’d thee for thy lonely striving.
Me too once unthinking Nature,—Whence Love’s timeless mockery took me,—Fashion’d so divine a creature,Yea, and like a beast forsook me.I forgave, but tell the measureOf her crime in thee, my treasure.
Me too once unthinking Nature,
—Whence Love’s timeless mockery took me,—
Fashion’d so divine a creature,
Yea, and like a beast forsook me.
I forgave, but tell the measure
Of her crime in thee, my treasure.