"I loved, and was beloved again--
They tell me, sire, you never knew
Those gentle frailties; if 'tis true,
I shorten all my joy or pain; 285
To you 'twould seem absurd as vain;
But all men are not born to reign,
Or o'er their passions, or as you
Thus o'er themselves and nations too.
I am--or rather _was_--a prince, 290
A chief of thousands, and could lead
Them on where each would foremost bleed;
But could not o'er myself evince
The like control.--But to resume:
I loved, and was beloved again; 295
In sooth, it is a happy doom,
But yet where happiest ends in pain.--
We met in secret, and the hour
Which led me to that lady's bower
Was fiery Expectation's dower. 300
My days and nights were nothing--all
Except that hour which doth recall
In the long lapse from youth to age
No other like itself--I'd give
The Ukraine back again to live 305
It o'er once more--and be a page,
The happy page, who was the lord
Of one soft heart and his own sword,
And had no other gem nor wealth
Save nature's gift of youth and health.-- 310
We met in secret--doubly sweet,
Some say, they find it so to meet;
I know not that--I would have given
My life but to have call'd her mine
In the full view of earth and heaven; 315
For I did oft and long repine
That we could only meet by stealth.