George B. Thornton, "In Days of Yore" (1909)
In the flow'ry month of May,
Whilst upon a bow'ry fair,
Strolling in the morning air,
Pan, of vanished days of yore,
Meeting Echo, greetings bore
Greetings fond and full of feeling,
Modest, friendly, warm, appealing.
Twas in a grove, apart, alone,
In the shine of Helicon;
Dapple green was nature's dress,
And, amidst her loveliness,
Bees around the blossoms winging
And the feath'ry family singing,
Fountains flowing, full and free,
Told a tale of ecstasy.
"Hail, thou nymph of fair delight;
Hail, deceiver of my sight,
Have I met thee fast a-Maying,
Full into my vision straying,
Dressed in robes of pearly white,
Garments dazzling to my sight?.
Thou are ever still caressing
Hills and vales, and dropping blessings,
Murmuring voices of the air,
Making merry everywhere!
Come, and tell it as we go
Why thou hast been timid so,
Hiding 'mong the flow'rs and hills,
Meads and valleys, rocks and rills,
Whilst I, dwelling all alone,
Roam the shine of Helicon!
Thou art all in all to me,
Sweet, thou nymph, Euphrosyne,
And 'twill be a kind of pleasure
To assist me in my leisure!
We can live up in the trees,
Round the blossoms, like the bees,
And our gladness will be long,
Smacking doubly full of song.
Tell me thou wilt live with me
During this eternity,
In the pleasantness of hours
In the middle of the bow'rs,
Such as elsewhere there are none
As are those of Helicon!
May thou concord freely give,
And with me forever live."
"I am Echo, nymph of air,
Habitating everywhere,
Ever wonted to be sad,
Wishing ever to be glad,
And I hide among the hills,
Meads and valleys, rocks and rills,
Whilst thou, dwelling all alone,
Roam the shine of Helicon.
It will be a kind of pleasure
To assist thee in thy leisure;
We can live up in the trees,
Round the blossoms, like the bees,
And our gladness will be long,
Smacking doubly full of song.
I will ever live with thee,
During this eternity!
In the night-time of the hours,
These will be our nuptial bow'rs,
Nymphs and Naiads will be there,
And the fairy troops of air;
They will all come out to see
How we make solemnity,
Phantoms following, tripping sweet,
Sylphs and seraphs wil they meet,
Fays and elves will join the ring,
And assist the balancing,
While we make an antic round,
Treading nimbly on the ground;
Then to sphery realms so soon,
Some will soar up to the moon,
Others, dwelling here below,
To the nether worlds will go.
"Now I conjure me up the hour
Through the aid of Hecate's power,
And our nuptials swift beginning,
Hand in hand we go a- spinning,
Marking out an antic round,
Treading nimbly on the ground,
Nymphs and Naiads everywhere,
And the fairy troops of air.
Now I raise my hand on high,
Pointing upward to the sky;
Sprites and phantoms, take your flight
Through the middle of the night,
Soaring smoothly, some so soon
Sit upon the corner'd moon,
Others, dwelling here below,
To the nether regions go.
Published in Colored American Magazine, March 1909