Etchings in Verse (Underhill)/Night Musings

by Andrew Findlay Underhill

NIGHT MUSINGS.

WHEN the moon is beaming brightly,
 And the stars bedeck the skies;
When the silent dew falls lightly,
 And the mists of evening rise;
When the zephyrs, sadly sighing,
 Softly breathe their low complaint;
When the owlet's voice, replying,
 Soundeth far away, and faint;
When the odor of each flower
 Swoons upon the balmy air;
When the softness of the hour
 Steals away each mortal care:
Then—oh, then! my soul's sad yearnings
 Love to linger on thy name;
Then—oh, then! my heart's low burnings
 Are kindled into flame:
Then—oh, then I love to wander
 In bright fancy's mystic flight—
On thy graces rare to ponder
 Mid the fleeting hours of night.