Is thy name Mary, maiden fair?
Such should, methinks, its music be;
The sweetest name that mortals bear
Were best befitting thee;
And she to whom it once was given,
Was half of earth and half of heaven.
I hear thy voice, I see thy smile,
I look upon thy folded hair;
Ah! while we dream not they beguile,
Our hearts are in the snare;
And she who chains a wild bird's wing
Must start not if her captive sing.
So, lady, take the leaf that falls,
To all but thee unseen, unknown;
When evening shades thy silent walls,
Then read it all alone;
In stillness read, in darkness seal,
Forget, despise, but not reveal!
More verses by Oliver Wendell Holmes
- A Song. For The Centennial Celebration Of Harvard College
- Welcome To The Nations
- Hymn For The Dedication Of Memorial Hall At Cambridge, June 23, 1874
- Poem For The Two Hundred And Fiftieth Anniversary Of The Founding Of Harvard College
- Address For The Opening Of The Fifth Avenue Theatre