To A Golden Key

by Francis Scott Key

Francis Scott Key

Long had a golden key concealed
The treasures of my Delia's breast;
Treasures one half so sweet and rich
Sure never key before possessed.

The ponderous key that guards his wealth,
If the rich miser would bestow,
Gladly the proffered boon I'd seize,
'Tis almost all I wish below.

But ah! that litle golden key,
Could I but dare unlock its store,
And with the trembling hand of Love
Those treasures, long concealed, explore,

In vain would then the miser's wealth,
In vain the wealth of worlds would bribe me
To break the silken ties with which
The little urchin Love has tied me.

Delia! too long upon that heaven
Hath slept th' unconscious key of gold,
Enjoyed a bliss it cannot feel -
For, trust me, Delia, it is cold.

Then take another, who would prize
That heaven as a monarch's throne,
A key who, by thy goodness chained,
Forever will his bondage own.

O! let me be the happy key
To guard the treasures of thy heart,
And from its fondly treasured trust
That key shall never, never part.





Last updated March 30, 2023