That seeks upon the rock its wonted spring,
Wait vainly that the vanished wave restore
To the mute vale its voice and life once more;
And seem in desert solitude to say,
“Thus pass terrestrial pride and pomp away!”
Ah! marvel we no more that empires fall,
That man’s frail works speed to destruction all,
Since nature’s fabric, built to outlast the skies,
Sinks by degrees, and like a mortal dies!
Since this proud stream, which centuries have seen