I know a secret place where no man goes

A shrine where I and my lover re-unite

And here where none can trespass no man knows

The bliss which she and I will share this night.

Her shrine is placed beyond the reach of those

Of worldly fortune, conquest, and of fame

And should you lift a finger to oppose her will

You search for sight of her in vain.

She is not bought, not bribed, not planned

But waits for every-man if he would rise

Innocence and wisdom walk hand in hand

And they alone escort you to her side.

The plains and hills which beckon to a child

The stream whispering to the sleeping stones

The plumed ocean in her ways grown wild

The lonely grave embracing whitened bones.

Each gives testimony of this endless search

With purer eloquence than book or church

As stars to a child's untutored eyes

Are lamps in heaven shining from paradise.