Two

No nearer to thy presence let me stand!
Fate set me in a strange and distant land!
There let my life run out its tranquil course,
Unchecked, as now, with every painful breath,
To feel between us a dividing force
More strong than Death!

And say not thou, "This is Love's waning hour."
By Love's own God, I never felt his power,
The all-commanding terror of his bliss,
Never in passion's noontide loved thee more.
When I compare my former state with this,
I never loved before.