Believe Me If All Those Endearing Young Charms

(Song begins at 1:01)
"'Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms', [was written by Moore] to [his wife] Elizabeth after she contracted a skin disease and began to fear that he would no longer love her."
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Words by Thomas Moore (not Thomas More!) 1808; melody, traditional
Rise Up Singing chapter: Golden Oldies, p.77
C C7 F - / C G7 C - ://
C C7 F - / C G E G7 / C C7 F Dm / C G C -

Believe me, if all those endearing young charms
Which I gaze on so fondly today
Were to change by tomorrow, and fleet in my arms
Like fairy gifts fading away
Thou wouldst still be adored, 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

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own
And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear
That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known
To which time will but make thee more dear
No, the heart that has truly loved 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 turned when he rose

"It is said Moore wrote the lyrics for the wife of the Duke of Wellington when she suffered facial scars from smallpox, though there is some doubt that this is true, as they were married in 1806, and their relationship was known not to be an affectionate one. Another theory is that Moore wrote it for his own wife."
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