To Florence

  1. 1Oh Lady! when I left the shore,
  2. 2The distant shore which gave me birth,
  3. 3I hardly thought to grieve once more,
  4. 4To quit another spot on earth:
  1. 5Yet here, amidst this barren isle,
  2. 6Where panting Nature droops the head,
  3. 7Where only thou art seen to smile,
  4. 8I view my parting hour with dread.
  1. 9Though far from Albin's craggy shore,
  2. 10Divided by the dark-blue main;
  3. 11A few, brief, rolling seasons o'er,
  4. 12Perchance I view her cliffs again:
  1. 13But wheresoe'er I now may roam,
  2. 14Through scorching clime, and varied sea,
  3. 15Though Time restore me to my home,
  4. 16I ne'er shall bend mine eyes on thee:
  1. 17On thee, in whom at once conspire
  2. 18All charms which heedless hearts can move,
  3. 19Whom but to see is to admire,
  4. 20And, oh! forgive the word--to love.
  1. 21Forgive the word, in one who ne'er
  2. 22With such a word can more offend;
  3. 23And since thy heart I cannot share,
  4. 24Believe me, what I am, thy friend.
  1. 25And who so cold as look on thee,
  2. 26Thou lovely wand'rer, and be less?
  3. 27Nor be, what man should ever be,
  4. 28The friend of Beauty in distress?
  1. 29Ah! who would think that form had past
  2. 30Through Danger's most destructive path,
  3. 31Had braved the death-winged tempest's blast,
  4. 32And 'scaped a Tyrant's fiercer wrath?
  1. 33Lady! when I shall view the walls
  2. 34Where free Byzantium once arose,
  3. 35And Stamboul's Oriental halls
  4. 36The Turkish tyrants now enclose;
  1. 37Though mightiest in the lists of fame,
  2. 38That glorious city still shall be;
  3. 39On me 'twill hold a dearer claim,
  1. 40And though I bid thee now farewell,
  2. 41When I behold that wondrous scene--
  3. 42Since where thou art I may not dwell--
  4. 43'Twill soothe to be where thou hast been.