An Orphan's Lament

She's gone, and twice the summer's sun     Has gilt Regina's towers,     And melted wild Angora's snows,     And warmed Exina's bowers.     The flowerets twice on hill and dale     Have bloomed and died away,     And twice the rustling forest leaves     Have fallen to decay,     And thrice stern winter's icy hand     Has checked the river's flow,     And three times o'er the mountains thrown     His spotless robe of snow.     Two summers springs and autumns sad     Three winters cold and grey,     And is it then so long ago     That wild November day!     They say such tears as children weep     Will soon be dried away,     That childish grief however strong     Is only for a day,     And parted friends how dear soe'er     Will soon forgotten be;     It may be so with other hearts,     It is not thus with me.     My mother, thou wilt weep no more     For thou art gone above,     But can I ever cease to mourn     Thy good and fervent love?     While that was mine the world to me     Was sunshine bright and fair;     No feeling rose within my heart     But thou couldst read it there.     And thou couldst feel for all my joys     And all my childish cares     And never weary of my play     Or scorn my foolish fears.     Beneath thy sweet maternal smile     All pain and sorrow fled,     And even the very tears were sweet     Upon thy bosom shed.     Thy loss can never be repaired;     I shall not know again     While life remains, the peaceful joy     That filled my spirit then.     Where shall I find a heart like thine     While life remains to me,     And where shall I bestow the love     I ever bore for thee?