The Water Lily

Within a crystal riv’let bright, Whose sides, with verdure crown’d, From shelving banks reflected wide The landscape bord’ring round,

A WATER LILY peaceful rear’d Her lovely, graceful head; And on the gently-heaving stream Her beauteous flow’rs were spread.

Thence she beheld the banks with flow’rs Of various kinds array’d; And nodding trees, that far dispers’d Their over-hanging shade;

For there the lofty Poplar grew, Still mingling white with green; And there the rustling Aspin too With trembling leaves was seen.

The Willow, nodding o’er the brook, Drinks deep the stream below; Cowslip and Primrose near at hand, And purple Iris glow.

The LILY saw, and to the lake Thus soft-complaining cry’d, While gentle ZEPHYRS bore the sound, Which spread from side to side:

“Ah hapless lot! while others bloom “On yonder happy shore, “Amongst their kindred tribes—my fate “Here lonely I deplore.

“Condemn’d amid this watry waste “For ever to remain; “Nor taste the joys which others know “On yonder flow’ry plain.”

The GODDESS OF THE WATER heard, And Anger mov’d her heart; “How dar’st thou thus affront (she said) “The Pow’r by which thou ART?

“Those other trees and flow’rs thou see’st, “ALL sprang from Mother Earth: “And grateful tribute ALL return “To Her who gave them birth.

“While thou, alas! should I withdraw “The least of this my store; “Shalt call on other Pow’rs in vain, “And sink, to rise no more.

“Beauteous thou art, nor meanly priz’d: “Then lay no blame on me; “Nor seek what, though it others bless, “Must surely ruin thee.

“But still revere this facted truth, “Whatever may betide; “What Heav’n decrees is always BEST, “And all is BAD beside.”