 | The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems |  |
86
IN THE SOUTH.
HEY up the river,
And ho! down the bay!
Trees on the black rock,
And grass on the grey.
Send the boat closer in,
Up to the shore;
There she is standing,
Just holding the door!
Now is the time
If you've something to say;
Hey up the river,
And ho! down the bay!
And ho! down the bay!
Trees on the black rock,
And grass on the grey.
Send the boat closer in,
Up to the shore;
There she is standing,
Just holding the door!
Now is the time
If you've something to say;
Hey up the river,
And ho! down the bay!
Something is coming,
I know by her smile;
‘Let me go down with you,
Only a mile?’
‘Plenty of room
For a dozen like you:—
More to the forward,
And trim the canoe!
Now we are off again,
Well under weigh;
Hey up the river,
And ho! down the bay!’
I know by her smile;
‘Let me go down with you,
Only a mile?’
‘Plenty of room
For a dozen like you:—
More to the forward,
And trim the canoe!
Now we are off again,
Well under weigh;
Hey up the river,
And ho! down the bay!’
87
Out of the deep water
Into the shoal,
Lay down the paddle,
And take up the pole!
Pull by the bushes!
Look out for the root!
Into the current,
And over the shoot!
‘Keep on another mile?’
‘Just as you say!’
Hey up the river,
And ho! down the bay!
Into the shoal,
Lay down the paddle,
And take up the pole!
Pull by the bushes!
Look out for the root!
Into the current,
And over the shoot!
‘Keep on another mile?’
‘Just as you say!’
Hey up the river,
And ho! down the bay!
‘When the moon rises,
We'll go by her light.’
Still she kept on with him
All through the night:
Two miles, and three miles,
And five miles, and ten:
Back to the river home
Never again.
Long was the journey,
But short seemed the way;
Hey up the river,
And ho! down the bay!
We'll go by her light.’
Still she kept on with him
All through the night:
Two miles, and three miles,
And five miles, and ten:
Back to the river home
Never again.
Long was the journey,
But short seemed the way;
Hey up the river,
And ho! down the bay!
Elk River, Braxton County, West Virginia, May 20, 1866.
| The music-lesson of Confucius, And Other Poems | |