I hear the soft note of the echoing voice
Of an old, old love, long dead—
It whispers my sorrowing heart “rejoice”—
For the last sad tear is shed—
The pain that is all but a pleasure will change
For the pleasure that’s all but pain,
And never, oh never, this heart will range
From that old, old love again!
Yes, the pain that is all but a pleasure will change
For the pleasure that’s all but pain,
And never, oh never, our hearts will range
From that old, old love again!
Oh never, — Oh never, oh never our hearts will range
Oh never, — Oh never, oh never our hearts will range
From that old, old love again.
But who is this, whose godlike grace
Proclaims he comes of noble race?
And who is this, whose manly face
Bears sorrow’s interesting trace?
Yes, who is this, whose godlike grace
Proclaims he comes of noble race?
I am a broken-hearted troubadour,
Whose mind’s aesthetic and whose tastes are pure!
Aesthetic! He is aesthetic!
Yes, yes—I am aesthetic
And poetic!
They love him! Horror!
They love him! Horror!
They love me! Horror! Horror! Horror!
List, Reginald, while I confess —— Oh, list while we a love confess
A love that's all unselfishness —— That words imperfectly express —That it's unselfish, goodness knows,
Those shell-like ears, ah, do not close —— Those shell-like ears, he, does not close—You won't dispute it I suppose!.
To blighted love’s distracting woes! —— To their recital of their woes!
Again my cursed comeliness —— My jealousy I can't express —— Yes, those shell-like ears, ah, do not close
Spreads hopeless anguish and distress —— Their love they openly confess! ——To blighted love’s distracting woes! ——To their recital of their woes!
Spreads hopeless anguish and distress, distress! —— Their love they openly confess, confess! —— To blighted love’s distracting woes, its woes! —— To their recital of their woes, their woes!
Ah! Again my cursed comeliness —— Oh, list while we our love confess ——My jealousy I can’t express,
Spreads hopeless anguish and distress; ——That words imperfectly express.—Their love they openly confess!
And I shall love you, I shall love. ——Thine ears, oh Fortune, do not close
Those shell-like ears, ah, do not close ——His shell-like ears he does not close
Your ears, ah, do not close! ——To love’s distracting woes!
Thy shell-like ears —— My shell-like ears —— His shell-like ears —— Now is not this ridiculous
Ah, do not close ——I cannot close ——-he does not close ——and is not this preposterous
To blighted love’s distracting woes! ——A thoro’-pac’d absurdity, explain it if you can!
Thy shell-like ears ——My shell-like ears ——His shell-like ears ——Now is not this ridiculous,
Ah, do not close ——I cannot close ——He does not close ——And is not this preposterous
To blighted love’s distracting woes! —— A thoro'-pac'd absurdity, explain it if you can!
To love’s, to love’s distracting woes! —— Explain, explain it if you can,
Love’s woes! — You can.