SUNG BY THE POET AT A MEETING OF FRIENDS, TO JOIN WHICH HE AND OTHERS
HAD TRAVELLED A CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE.
1.
Celestial rapture seizes me,
Your inspiration merely;
It lifts me to the winking stars,
I seem to touch them nearly:
Yet would I rather stay below,
I can declare sincerely,
My song to sing, my glass to ring
With those I love so dearly.
2.
Then wonder not to see me here
To prop a cause so rightful:
Of all lov’d things on this lov’d earth
To me ’tis most delightful.
I vow’d I would among ye be
In scorn of fortune spiteful;
So here I came, and here I am,
To make the table quite full.
3.
When thus we should together meet,
Not quickly to be sunder’d,
I hoped at other Poets’ songs
My joy, too, should be thunder’d.
To join such brothers who would grudge
To travel miles a hundred!
So eager some this day to come,
Through very haste they blunder’d.
4.
Long life to him who guards our lives!
My doctrine’s not learnt newly:
We’ll first do honour to our King,
And drink to him most duly.
May he his foes without o’ercome,
Within quell all unruly;
And grant support of every sort,
As we shall serve him truly!
5.
Thee next I give--thou only one,
Who all thy sex defeatest!
Each lover deems right gallantly,
His mistress the completest.
I therefore drink to her I love;
Thou, who some other greetest,
Ne’er drink alone--still think thine own
As I do mine--the sweetest!
6.
The third glass to old friends is due,
Who aid us when we need it.
How quickly flew each joyous day
With such kind hearts to speed it!
When fortune’s storm was gathering dark
We had less cause to heed it:
Then fill the glass--the bottle pass--
A bumper!--we’ve agreed it!
7.
Since broader, fuller, swells the tide
Of friends, as life advances,
Let’s drink to every lesser stream,
The greater that enhances.
With strength united thus we meet,
And brave the worst mischances;
Since oft the tide, must darkly glide
That in the sunlight dances.
8.
Once more we meet together here,
Once more in love united:
We trust that others’ toils like ours,
Like ours will be requited.
Upon the self-same stream we see
Full many a mill is sited!
May we the weal of all men feel,
And with it be delighted.