Lull-lully, my baby, oh, would that thy mother Were happy as thou, and light-hearted to-night; Lull-lully, now get thee to sleep with no singing, My songs are all quenched, like a perishing light; And 'tis easier now To shed tears on thy brow, While thus I bend over thy cradle, and trace Thy father's dear image again in thy face. Lull-lully, my pretty; I joy thou dost know not That thou art an orphan--nor wilt yet for long; Thy heart so unspotted were breaking, my treasure, Didst thou know that a widow unshielded from wrong Doth lull thee to sleep In loneliness deep, With thy father no more at the hearth by her side, With no counsel, no song, and no rudder to guide. Lull-lully, my fay, if thy mother be spared thee, Thou'lt find against wrongs a sure shield in her arm; Thy father's dear spirit now prayeth in Heaven The world's mighty Ruler to guard us from harm; Yea, asketh me too To shelter thee true, Like an angel to nurse thee beneath Heaven's eyes; Oh, lully--ere long we shall lie where he lies! Lull-lully--without there the rough wind blows colder, And thick in the moonlight the frost spreads a shroud; But yonder, my Guen, there's a beautiful Canaan For us the forlorn--without darkness or cloud. Of that Country'all bright We will dream through this night; Oh, could we but go there to wander, set free Yea, go while we dream of the dawn that shall be! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE RAILWAY TRAIN by EMILY DICKINSON ARIZONA POEMS: 4. THE WINDMILLS by JOHN GOULD FLETCHER BETWEEN THE LINES by WILFRID WILSON GIBSON EPIGRAM: 14. TO WILLIAM CAMDEN by BEN JONSON SONGO RIVER; CONNECTING LAKE SEBAGO AND LONG LAKE by HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW |