Page:Poems Sigourney 1827.pdf/159

Instruct my feeble pencil to portray
The sacred ardour of an ancient day.—
Aid me the tuneful shepherd's love to sing,
And his, the offspring of the Jewish king.—
—When first, of moody Saul, the palace gay
Rang to the son of Jesse's heaven-taught lay,—
The listening prince, in willing durance bound
Chain'd to the wild variety of sound,
Loved the fair minstrel for his magic art,
And shrined his virtues in a faithful heart.—
—Oft when the restless cares of day were still
And the young moon rose soft o'er Zion's hill,
The gentle pair with lingering steps would tread,
Where Millo's vale in shelter'd beauty spread.—
And then the shepherd youth would sweetly say
How God had led him on his unknown way,
Had saved him while he watch'd his fleecy care,
From the mad lion, and the ranging bear,
From a low tent to royal courts had brought,
His wanderings counsell'd and his weakness taught:
And when with tender words his hope he sigh'd,
That even through death's dark vale that hand would guide,
The pious ardour through his partner stole
And fix'd the fondness of his generous soul.—
—And ever as their varying lore declined
The harp's wild music floated on the wind,
While on the turf the spell-bound prince would lie
With lip half closed, and lightning in his eye,
Till soon his warm, confiding heart could know
No undivided joy, or unimparted wo.—
—Once, as they traversed wide the dewy lawn
What time Aurora warn'd the trembling dawn,