- KNOWEST thou Leura?
- Leura, my bright!
- The flower of my morning,
- The star of my night!
- With eyes like twin dew-drops
- That glance from the lea,
- And lips like red coral
- Just brought from the sea;
- With hair soft as gossamers
- Threading the lawn,
- And cheeks like young lilies
- That bloom at the dawn;
- With a brow pure as snow-flakes
- From Winter's white wing,
- And a voice like the song-bird
- That herald the Spring-
- Knowest thou Leura?
- Then wilt thou discover
- My song is her picture-
- Oh, read it and love her!
- Knowest thou Leura?
- Leura, my pet!
- If once thou hast seen her,
- Thou canst not forget.
- She inviteth the eye,
- She entranceth the heart,
- And her image, once cherished,
- Can never depart.
- Like some sprite or elfin,
- That comes in a dream,
- Or a beautiful Naiad,
- The queen of the stream,
- Her grace and her loveliness
- Captive the gaze;
- She woos with her features,
- And wins with her ways.
- Her eye oft has kindled
- When gazing in mine;
- Her lip oft met my lip
- As thy loved ones thine:
- Her cheek oft has rested
- In peace by my own,
- While I plundered soft kisses
- And drank her sweet tone;
- And I thought that my Leura
- No fear ever knew,
- So gentle and loving,
- So loyal and true.
- But her heart is her jewel,
- The rarest and best
- That ever was garnered
- In woman's pure breast;
- For the eye has no lustre
- That Time cannot steal,
- And the blossoms of beauty
- Are crushed by his wheel;
- But the heart, with its feelings,
- Is buoyant and young,
- Though the accents of age
- Falter forth from the tongue;
- Though the brow is bereaved
- Of its sunshine by Time,
- And the ear hears no longer
- Sweet music and rhyme:
- I have a dear secret
- To whisper to thee-
- That heart, with its treasures,
- Is given to me!
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