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To Her Most Gracious Majesty |
Thou hast been amongst us, O noble Queen: A light on our path hath thy presence been ; Thou hast trodden the soil of our happy Isle, We have looked on the beam of thy kindly smile; We gave thee the wealth of our summer bowers, The dew's rich pearl on the deep-hued flowers, No costly gift had we to bring, Only the heart's deep offering! We looked on thy fair form, and sorrow slept, And joy, in its fulness, turned pale and wept Age, too, forgot its sombre dress, And donned the garb of joyfulness And Manhood stood with flushing cheek, And looked the joy words might not speak, Whilst the voice of woman rose loud and strong, In the heart's full tide of rejoicing song And the spirit of Summer stood by to fling O'er our little Isle its colouring; Steeping the heaven in clearest blue, Robing the earth in its fairest hue ; And maidens, as clustering flowers, were bound In a wreath of beauty, that circled round, Whilst feelings, that youth has no strength to chain, Fell from their eyes as the spirit's rain. Long in our hearts this day shall be Bound unto happy memory; Linked to each tender and holy thought With the fragrance of all that is lovely fraught, And when we bow at our Maker's Throne, We will breathe thy name with a softer tone, And bless our God that our eyes have seen, Thus face to face, our own fair QUEEN! Personne St. Helier's Jersey. (1846) |