| Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). A Victorian Anthology, 1837–1895. 1895. |
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| Fair Ines |
| | | Thomas Hood (1799–1845) |
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| O SAW ye not fair Ines? | |
| She ’s gone into the West, | |
| To dazzle when the sun is down, | |
| And rob the world of rest: | |
| She took our daylight with her, | 5 |
| The smiles that we love best, | |
| With morning blushes on her cheek, | |
| And pearls upon her breast. | |
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| O turn again, fair Ines, | |
| Before the fall of night, | 10 |
| For fear the Moon should shine alone, | |
| And stars unrivall’d bright; | |
| And blessed will the lover be | |
| That walks beneath their light, | |
| And breathes the love against thy cheek | 15 |
| I dare not even write. | |
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| Would I had been, fair Ines, | |
| That gallant cavalier | |
| Who rode so gayly by thy side, | |
| And whisper’d thee so near! | 20 |
| Were there no bonny dames at home, | |
| Or no true lovers here, | |
| That he should cross the seas to win | |
| The dearest of the dear | |
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| I saw thee, lovely Ines, | 25 |
| Descend along the shore, | |
| With bands of noble gentlemen | |
| And banners wav’d before; | |
| And gentle youth and maidens gay, | |
| And snowy plumes they wore;— | 30 |
| It would have been a beauteous dream,— | |
| It if had been no more! | |
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| Alas, alas, fair Ines, | |
| She went away with song, | |
| With Music waiting on her steps, | 35 |
| And shoutings of the throng; | |
| But some were sad, and felt no mirth, | |
| But only Music’s wrong, | |
| In sounds that sang Farewell, Farewell, | |
| To her you ’ve lov’d so long. | 40 |
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| Farewell, farewell, fair Ines! | |
| That vessel never bore | |
| So fair a lady on its deck, | |
| No danced so light before,: | |
| Alas for pleasure on the sea, | 45 |
| And sorrow on the shore! | |
| The smile that bless’d one lover’s heart | |
| Has broken many more! | |
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