 | The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems |  |
66
THE SWALLOW.
WHEN Jesus hung upon the cross
The birds, 'tis said, bewailed the loss
Of Him who first to mortals taught,
Guiding with love the life of all,
And heeding e'en the sparrows' fall.
The birds, 'tis said, bewailed the loss
Of Him who first to mortals taught,
Guiding with love the life of all,
And heeding e'en the sparrows' fall.
But, as old Swedish legends say,
Of all the birds upon that day,
The swallow felt the deepest grief,
And longed to give her Lord relief,
And chirped when any near would come,
‘Hugswala swala swal honom!’
Meaning, as they who tell it deem,
Oh, cool, oh, cool and comfort Him!
Of all the birds upon that day,
The swallow felt the deepest grief,
And longed to give her Lord relief,
And chirped when any near would come,
‘Hugswala swala swal honom!’
Meaning, as they who tell it deem,
Oh, cool, oh, cool and comfort Him!
Oh soul, oh life, oh love! Whene'er
A sufferer in this world draws near,
Wilt thou remember ere thou go
How Jesus died in bitterest woe?
That thou in every brother's pain
Might'st see thy Saviour live again.
Then, drawing from the living stream,
‘Oh, cool, oh, cool and comfort Him!’
A sufferer in this world draws near,
Wilt thou remember ere thou go
How Jesus died in bitterest woe?
That thou in every brother's pain
Might'st see thy Saviour live again.
Then, drawing from the living stream,
‘Oh, cool, oh, cool and comfort Him!’
| The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems | |