(I gave my niece a copy of Cyrano de Bergerac for Christmas. She has already expressed her great delight after reading the first act. To her I wrote:)

For her whose mind is set aglow
By reading hero Cyrano
May all her dreams come shining true
Whatever paths she seeks them through,
And may her courage never fail,
How strong each storm, how stiff each gale,
And by the light of reason’s glow
Find her own living Cyrano.

But may the end that’s in the play—
Of lovers wholly cut away
Before sun Joy has showered bliss—
In life turn into lasting kiss,
And Cyran’s spirit shine so bright
That farthest stars seem hers by right.
And so may reading prove its worth
By granting heaven more on earth,
Inspiring her to hands-on deeds
For all she wants and all she needs.

Rostand the master a great play made;
She’ll grasp its law—Live unafraid.