| Jessie B. Rittenhouse, ed. (1869–1948). The Little Book of Modern Verse. 1917. |
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| 68. A West-Country Lover |
| | | By Alice Brown |
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| THEN, lady, at last thou art sick of my sighing. | |
| Good-bye! | |
| So long as I sue, thou wilt still be denying? | |
| Good-bye! | |
| Ah, well! shall I vow then to serve thee forever, | 5 |
| And swear no unkindness our kinship can sever? | |
| Nay, nay, dear my lass! here’s an end of endeavor. | |
| Good-bye! | |
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| Yet let no sweet ruth for my misery grieve thee. | |
| Good-bye! | 10 |
| The man who has loved knows as well how to leave thee. | |
| Good-bye! | |
| The gorse is enkindled, there’s bloom on the heather, | |
| And love is my joy, but so too is fair weather; | |
| I still ride abroad though we ride not together. | 15 |
| Good-bye! | |
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| My horse is my mate; let the wind be my master. | |
| Good-bye! | |
| Though Care may pursue, yet my hound follows faster. | |
| Good-bye! | 20 |
| The red deer’s a-tremble in coverts unbroken. | |
| He hears the hoof-thunder; he scents the death-token. | |
| Shall I mope at home, under vows never spoken? | |
| Good-bye! | |
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| The brown earth’s my book, and I ride forth to read it. | 25 |
| Good-bye! | |
| The stream runneth fast, but my will shall outspeed it. | |
| Good-bye! | |
| I love thee, dear lass, but I hate the hag Sorrow. | |
| As sun follows rain, and to-night has its morrow, | 30 |
| So I’ll taste of joy, though I steal, beg, or borrow! | |
| Good-bye! | |
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