[Editor: This poem by William Blocksidge (also known as William Baylebridge) was published in Songs o’ the South (1908).]
III.
To Love
Goddess of the Night and Day,
Of each man and thing,
Thou canst bear the light away
And the morning bring —
Germ of Day and germ of Death
Linger, Love, within thy breath!
I have laboured long for thee,
Love; then hear my prayer:
To her heart on embassy
Please to now repair —
To her heart that will not move
’Neath the measure of my love!
Bid her rule that high disdain
Ere a soul she kill:
Thus thou canst relieve my pain
If thou only will:
By the power that conquers me
Hold her rebel heart in fee!
Source:
William Blocksidge, Songs o’ the South, London: Watts, 1908, p. 24
Editor’s notes:
canst = (archaic) can (second person singular present of “can”)
embassy = the official building for an ambassador, diplomats, and staff (in a foreign country); a diplomatic deputation, group, or mission, especially one led by an ambassador; an official mission undertaken by an agent or representative of a state power
ere = (archaic) before (from the Middle English “er”, itself from the Old English “aer”, meaning early or soon)
fee = full ownership, legal ownership without any time limit; (archaic) under the complete power of another; possession, property, an estate (as used in the real estate phrase “fee simple”)
germ = a seed, spore, bud, or plant embryo from which a new organism can develop; the basis, beginning, or origin of an idea or project (can also refer to: a pathogenic microorganism which can cause disease, e.g. a bacterium or virus; a bug)
’neath = (vernacular) beneath
repair = go; retire; retreat; return (usually followed by “to”, e.g. “he repaired to his country abode”); can also mean: to fix, mend, or restore something (which is broken, damaged, faulty, not working properly, or worn) to a better condition or good condition
thee = (archaic) you
thou = (archaic) you
thy = (archaic) your
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