THE tranquil water’s glassy surface glows

With all the splendors of the morning sky,

Where lightly-hovering clouds their tints disclose,

In soften’d beauty to the wand’rer’s eye:

Yet, brighter far, yon orb, whose parent ray

Yields all the lustre that adorns the day.

 

While thus I view the glad creation round,

Each moment some attractive charm supplies,

Warbles delight in every tuneful sound,

And odoriferous balms around me rise;

For here, the first-born fragrance of the vale,

Floats o’er the flowers that still new sweets exhale.

 

Lured by the love of NATURE’s vernal charms,

I rove—delighted—lost to all beside:

Ev’n FANCY’s fire no more my bosom warms,

And fled each thought to REASON’s power allied.

Exterior beauties crowd upon my soul,

Raise her to joy, and all her powers controul!

 

But when, O gracious ALLAH! when to thee

On wings of holy FAITH my thoughts aspire,

Swift from my raptured soul tumultuous flee

The brief delights those circling charms inspire:

EARTH—SKIES—dissolve, the SUN himself decays,

Lost in thy GLORY’s uncreated rays!