Farewell to Summer

Farewell to Summer

Farewell to thee, sweet summer,

Thou art almost past away,

And wither'd are the roses,

So lately fresh and gay;

Of if in sunny bowers

Some few may yet be found,

They too soon will be faded,

And scattered o'er the ground.

Farewell to thee, sweet summer,

Thy singing birds have flown,

Thy soft and fragrant breezes

Have been exhal'd and gone.

And with thee have departed

The cherish'd hopes of years,

And fair and brilliant visions

Have been erased by tears.

Some long indulg'd imaginings

Have faded in thy beam,

And many drops of anguish

Commingled with thy stream,

And there are human bosoms,

Which at thy natal day

Were beating high with gladness,

And now are sorrow's prey.

And some around whose temples,

The light of youth was shed,

Are now entomb'd in darkness,

And slumbering with the dead.

Some have their fates united

Beneath the genial ray,

And friendships have been plighted,

And other cast away.

But thou art gone, sweet summer,

With all thy joys and cares,

Thy records of affection,

Thy offering of tears.

My heart thou leav'st in sadness,

With blighted hopes around,

And when thou next returnest,

I may not here be found.

But when earth gladly hails thee,

Rejoicing wood and dell,

My lonely grave may meet thee -

Sweet summer, fare-thee-well!

Lucy Seymour

1:44, p. 2

1837.11.04