Youth

Youth's the season of enjoyment,
So I'll give full scope to joy;
Pleasure, wisdom's best employment,
Shall my thoughts and dreams employ.
Let the sad ally with sadness,
I have made my peace with gladness.

Full of smiles and cheerful-hearted,
Spring leaves winter's dreary den;
Night's dark demons, when departed,
Bring day's sunny sprites again.
In the abyss of grief the deepest,
Thou, sweet consolation! sleepest.

Life is fleeting—then improve it;
Lo! it melts beneath thy touch;
'Tis too lovely not to love it,
'Tis too vain to love too much:
It has honey-giving flowers,
It has balsam-bearing bowers.

Gather round thee friends of kindness,
To their hearts thy heart be given;
Friendship in our mortal blindness
Is the only light of heaven.
For the faithless friends thou ruest,
Cling to one, or two, the truest.