Poems (Acton)/A Farewell to the Old Year
Appearance
A FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR.
Go! Winter bears thee from us. Flowers,
That crowned thee once, are dead;
And hopes, thy spring-time raised to us,
Have, with thy beauty, fled.
Yet we would shield thy fading form
From murmurs of regret;
Though many a heart that yearned for thee
Thy sojourn must forget.
That crowned thee once, are dead;
And hopes, thy spring-time raised to us,
Have, with thy beauty, fled.
Yet we would shield thy fading form
From murmurs of regret;
Though many a heart that yearned for thee
Thy sojourn must forget.
Pass on thy way; thou leav'st a trace
Of other sorrows here:
Have we no griefs for wasted time?
Sighs for a mis-spent year?
Go! thou must now give place to one
That hath not mark'd our care—
That cometh to restore to earth
Its robe of beauty rare—
Of other sorrows here:
Have we no griefs for wasted time?
Sighs for a mis-spent year?
Go! thou must now give place to one
That hath not mark'd our care—
That cometh to restore to earth
Its robe of beauty rare—
To soothe the troubles sent by thee—
To calm the spirit wild—
To teach the task a cold world sets
Adversity's wan child.
Some light and unwrung hearts may know
But joy while thou art here;
And some may count the weary days
By Sorrow's blighting tear.
To calm the spirit wild—
To teach the task a cold world sets
Adversity's wan child.
Some light and unwrung hearts may know
But joy while thou art here;
And some may count the weary days
By Sorrow's blighting tear.
Thou hast pass'd by to humble us
By stern Affliction's hand—
To render desolate a place
In many a household band;
Scattering misery around
On some once smiling spot,
While thou art linking friends, whose names
Were once remember'd not.
By stern Affliction's hand—
To render desolate a place
In many a household band;
Scattering misery around
On some once smiling spot,
While thou art linking friends, whose names
Were once remember'd not.
Go! the New Year will read to us
A yet unopened page;
Perchance to sadden blooming youth—
Perchance to lighten age.
'Tis meet that we should watch thee die
With feelings kindly yet:
We know not that a future hour
We would not fain forget.
A yet unopened page;
Perchance to sadden blooming youth—
Perchance to lighten age.
'Tis meet that we should watch thee die
With feelings kindly yet:
We know not that a future hour
We would not fain forget.
Ah, it is therefore we should mark
With fear thy form depart:
Time, in its changes, may but bring
A changed and care-worn heart;
And, in remembrance of the smile,
We should forget the tear:
Nor turn with slighting from the past
To greet the coming year.
R. A.
With fear thy form depart:
Time, in its changes, may but bring
A changed and care-worn heart;
And, in remembrance of the smile,
We should forget the tear:
Nor turn with slighting from the past
To greet the coming year.
R. A.