“WITH fond impatience all the tedious day I sigh’d, and wish’d the lingering hours away; For when bright Hesper led the starry train, My shepherd swore to meet me on the plain; With eager haste to that dear spot I flew, And linger’d long, and then with tears withdrew: Alone, abandon’d to love’s tenderest woes, Down my pale cheeks the tide of sorrow flows; Dead to all joys that fortune can bestow, In vain for me her useless bounties flow; Take back each envied gift, ye pow’rs divine, And only let me call FIDELIO mine. “Ah, wretch! what anguish yet thy soul must prove, Ere thou canst hope to lose thy care in love; And when FIDELIO meets thy tearful eye, Pale fear and cold despair his presence fly; With pensive steps, I sought thy walks again, And kiss’d thy token on the verdant plain; With fondest hope, thro’ many a blissful bow’r, We gave the soul to fancy’s pleasing pow’r; Lost in the magick of that sweet employ, To build gay scenes, and fashion future joy, We saw mild peace o’er fair Canaan rise, And show’r her blessings from benignant skies; On airy hills our happy mansion rose, Built but for joy, no room for future woes; Sweet as the sleep of innocence, the day, (By transports measur’d) lightly danc’d away; To love, to bliss, the union’d soul was given, And each! too happy, ask’d no brighter heaven. “And must the hours in ceaseless anguish roll? Will no soft sunshine cheer my clouded soul? Can this dear earth no transient joy supply? Is it my doom to hope, despair and die? Oh! come, once more, with soft endearments come, Burst the cold prison of the sullen tomb; Through favour’d walks, thy chosen maid attend, Where well known shades their pleasing branches bend, Shed the soft poison from thy speaking eye, And look those raptures lifeless words deny; Still be, though late, reheard what ne’er could tire, But, told each eve, fresh pleasures would inspire; Still hope those scenes which love and fancy drew; But, drawn a thousand times, were ever new.