A Madrigal
Open the window, darling,
And welcome the breath of Spring,
For the spirit of Joy is abroad,
And gladdens each sentient thing!
My heart is drear as the wintry earth
Shrouded in bleakest night,
But thou canst banish its frosted cares.
Spirit of Love and Light!
Open the window, darling;
I hear the gush of a song,
That comes from the beautiful spring-time,
Flitting, like Hope, along.
My heart is sad as an autumn morn,
Before the winter's blight,
But thou canst scatter its sorrowful mist,
Spirit of Joy and Light!
~~
Isidore G. Ascher (1835-1933)
from Voices from the Hearth, 1863
[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]
