Fill, fill to the brim, let the bubble forth swim Like pearls on a ruby stream, Till woman's eye, or the star in the sky Less brilliant gems shall seem. Let the ivy crown on the flushed brow shine, While joy illumes the wreath; But wear it with care, for ivy will twine When the ruin is dark beneath. Drink, drink, and the chorusing clink Of glasses shall chime as ye sing -- "Time flies, but never so fast As it does on a 'bee's wing.'" Laugh, laugh, in the light of a jovial night, But let the wine song tell, That which carries the gauzy wing Bears the poison dart as well. We may drain a cup to those we love, And one to our native land; A bumper to freedom, another to truth, And then let the nectar stand. For, wine, wine, good as thou art, 'Tis well to remember the sting That carries its smart to the head and the heart, Along with the "bee's wing." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...AT HOME by CHRISTINA GEORGINA ROSSETTI THE SINGERS OF DELLA ROBBIA by ALFRED BARRETT THE LOUD SILENCE by SUSIE MONTGOMERY BEST ON THE EPICUREAN, STOIC, AND CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHY by JOHN BYROM TO HIS LOVED SON, NAT. FIELD, AND HIS WEATHER-COCK WOMAN by GEORGE CHAPMAN (1559-1634) BLOW THY HORN, HUNTER by WILLIAM CORNISH |