Thomas Moore: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms

Thomas Moore

“Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms” as printed in The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918).

Thomas Moore: Collected Lyrics Text 1 1918 · historical text
Public domainSoldier songHistorical song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Believe me if all those endearing young charms,

Which I gaze on so fondly to-day,

Were to change by to-morrow, and fade in my arms,

Like fairy gifts fading away,

Thou would'st still be ador'd as this moment thou art,

Let thy loveliness fade as it will,

And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart,

Would entwine itself verdantly still.

Verse 2

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,

And thy cheeks unprofan'd by a tear,

That the fervour and faith of a soul can be known,

To which time will but make thee more dear,

No, the heart that has truly lov'd, never forgets,

But as truly loves on to the close,

As the sunflower turns on her god, when he sets,

The same look which she turn'd when he rose.

Credits

Written by Thomas Moore

Words by Thomas Moore (died 1852). Historical text published in The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Canadian Soldiers' Song Book (1918), “Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms”

The 1918 published edition is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Entries whose credited author died more than 70 years ago are also in the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions; other entries are held. The credited author died in 1852.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-12. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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