To fly with you, O swallow, far away
Away from the world's martyrizing mart!
But how can I? a cruel little fay
Has fettered with three golden threads my heart.
Her honeyed tongue the tone, her eyes the other,
The third her lips, and that completes her art.
No fruits from other gardens can I gather,
For she has tied with golden threads my heart.
Alas! though often, thinking like a sage,
I thought, but never attempted, to depart;
For I would rather perish in my cage
Than break the golden threads of my poor heart.
This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1924.
The author died in 1940, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 75 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.