SONG TO CUPID
Reading edition
O wary elf Cupid, O dimpled, coy Cupid, Are you lost in the moonbeams, or hid in a rose? Who saw you, so nimble, slip out of a thimble, And hang from the loops of a lily-maid’s bows? Wee, spry little midget, the world’s in a fidget To snare and then coddle you, mischievous sprite; Your pranks and mad gambols and primrose-path rambles ’Mid briers and brambles are all my delight. In ivy-clad bowers you nestle for hours, And lurk in the flowers that swing in the breeze; There counting the kisses, the sweet stolen blisses, Of Strephon and Phyllis in languorous ease. We trifle and putter, our hearts in a flutter, In a tangled skein spun by the toiletted fair, The weary hours whiling, and dull care beguiling— Lo! dimpled and smiling, you’re loitering there! O wary elf Cupid, O cunning, coy Cupid, Are lovers all stupid, dear, rollicking boy? While maidens are sighing and love-knots are tying, The snap of your bow-string bodes sorrow and joy! Harold Van Santvoord.
