Oh! water for me-bright water for me! <br />And wine for the tremulous debauchee! <br />It cooleth the brow, it cooleth the brain, <br />It maketh the faint one strong again; <br />It comes o'er the sense like a breeze from the sea: <br />All freshness, like infant purity. <br /> <br /> <br />Oh water for me, bright water, for me! <br />Give wine, give wine to the debauchee! <br />Fill to the brim! fill, fill to the brim! <br />Let the flowing crystal kiss the rim: <br />For my hand is steady, my eye is true, <br />For I, like the flowers, drink nothing but dew. <br />Oh! water, bright water's a mine of wealth, <br />And the ores it yieldeth are vigour and health. <br />So water, pure water for me, for me! <br />And wine for the tremulous debauchee! <br /> <br /> <br />When over the hills, like a gladsome bride, <br />Morning walks forth in her beauty's pride, <br />And leading a band of laughing hours, <br />Brushes the dew from the nodding flowers, <br />Oh! cheerily then my voice is heard, <br />Mingling with that of the soaring bird, <br />Who flingeth abroad his matins loud, <br />As he freshens his wing in the cold grey cloud. <br /> <br /> <br />But when evening has quitted her sheltering yew, <br />Drowsily flying, and weaving anew, <br />Her dusky meshes o'er land and sea, <br />How gently, oh Sleep, fall thy poppies on me! <br />For water I drink, pure, cold and bright, <br />And my dreams are of heaven the live long night. <br />So, hurrah for thee, water, hurrah, hurrah! <br />Thou art silver and gold, thou art ribbon and star, <br />Hurrah for bright water! hurrah! hurrah!<br /><br />John Pierpont<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/water-oh-water-for-me/
