London lyrics by Frederick Locker Lampson: With introduction and notes by Austin Dobson |
 |
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN |
 | London lyrics |  |
94
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
A friendly bird with bosom red
Is fluting near my garden seat;
Your sky is fair above my head,
And Tweed rejoices at my feet.
Is fluting near my garden seat;
Your sky is fair above my head,
And Tweed rejoices at my feet.
The squirrels gambol in the oak,
Here all is glad, but you prefer
To linger on amid the smoke
Of stony-hearted Westminster.
Here all is glad, but you prefer
To linger on amid the smoke
Of stony-hearted Westminster.
Again I read your letter through,—
“How wonderful is fate's decree,
How sweet is all your life to you,
And oh, how sad is mine to me.”
“How wonderful is fate's decree,
How sweet is all your life to you,
And oh, how sad is mine to me.”
I know your wail, who knows it not?—
He gave,—He taketh that He gave.
Yours is the lot, the common lot,
To go down weeping to the grave.
He gave,—He taketh that He gave.
Yours is the lot, the common lot,
To go down weeping to the grave.
95
Sad journey to a dark abyss,
Meet ending of your sorrow keen,—
The burden of my dirge is this,
And this my woe,—It might have been!
Meet ending of your sorrow keen,—
The burden of my dirge is this,
And this my woe,—It might have been!
Dear bird! Blithe bird that singst in frost,
Forgive my friend if he is sad;
He mourns what he has only lost,—
I weep what I have never had.
Forgive my friend if he is sad;
He mourns what he has only lost,—
I weep what I have never had.
Lees, September 27, 1873.
| London lyrics | |