What Will You Do, Love?

I.

"What will you do, love, when I am going
With white sail flowing,
The seas beyond--
What will you do, love, when waves divide us,
And friends may chide us
For being fond?"
"Tho' waves divide us--and friends be chiding,
In faith abiding,
I 'll still be true!
And I 'll pray for thee on the stormy ocean,
In deep devotion--
That 's what I 'll do!"

II.

"What would you do, love, if distant tidings
Thy fond confidings
Should undermine?--
And I abiding 'neath sultry skies,
Should think other eyes
Were as bright as thine?"
"Oh, name it not:--tho' guilt and shame
Were on thy name
I 'd still be true:
But that heart of thine--should another share it--
I could not bear it!
What would I do?"

III.

"What would you do, love, when home returning
With hopes high burning,
With wealth for you,
If my bark, which bounded o'er foreign foam,
Should be lost near home--
Ah! what would you do?"--
"So thou wert spared--I 'd bless the morrow,
In want and sorrow,
That left me you;
And I 'd welcome thee from the wasting billow,
This heart thy pillow--
That 's what I 'd do!"