Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly to-day,
Were to change by to-morrow and fleet in my arms,
Like fairy gifts fading away,
Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,
Let thy loveliness fade as it will;
And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still.
It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,
And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear,
That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known,
To which time will but make thee more dear.
No, the heart that has truly loved never forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close
As the sunflower turns on her God when it sets
The same look which she turned when it rose.
A net friend in MYSJ forum posted the poem "Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms" by Thomas Moore. （Please click here）. It is the first time for me to read this poem. I turned to Wikipedia for information.
"Thomas Moore, an Irish poet, wrote this poem to his wife, Elizabeth who was badly scarred by smallpox. She refused to leave her room, believing herself ugly and unlovable. To convince her his love was unwavering, Moore composed the ‘Endearing’ poem which he set to an old Irish melody and sang outside her bedroom door. Moore restored her confidence and re-kindled their love." True love never fails. It can endure change and hardship.
I am also so lucky to find the YouTube version of this poem's Irish melody performed by the beautiful and talented Jenny Oaks Baker. She is a Grammy nominated American violinist.
