The Burden of the Bell and Other Lyrics By T. Westwood |
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A LITTLE STAVE TO MY SINGING BIRD,
THE CHILD ELLIE. |
 | The Burden of the Bell and Other Lyrics |  |
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A LITTLE STAVE TO MY SINGING BIRD, THE CHILD ELLIE.
Ellie, come and live with me—
Thou my singing bird shalt be;
Little sunny bird of beauty,
Thou shalt perch upon my knee.
Thou my singing bird shalt be;
Little sunny bird of beauty,
Thou shalt perch upon my knee.
Bravest Blackbird, Ellie dear,
Shall confess thee without peer;
Best Canary, gay and golden,
Shall grow sick at heart to hear.
Shall confess thee without peer;
Best Canary, gay and golden,
Shall grow sick at heart to hear.
And the Nightingale shall say,
From the lime-bough o'er the way,
Sing on, Ellie, sing—I'm weary
Of my own sad strain to day.”
From the lime-bough o'er the way,
Sing on, Ellie, sing—I'm weary
Of my own sad strain to day.”
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Gay as bees in beds of thyme,
We'll enjoy each changing time—
Morning's freshness, mist enwoven.
Noontide's crowned and blessëd prime.
We'll enjoy each changing time—
Morning's freshness, mist enwoven.
Noontide's crowned and blessëd prime.
And when eve's grey shadows come
And all other birds are dumb,
Ellie, thou shalt sing thy sweetest,
Thou shalt fill with glee my home.
And all other birds are dumb,
Ellie, thou shalt sing thy sweetest,
Thou shalt fill with glee my home.
Home for winter, that's to say—
But when Summer trips this way,
With her blue eyes full of pleasures,
Thou shalt be my woodland fay.
But when Summer trips this way,
With her blue eyes full of pleasures,
Thou shalt be my woodland fay.
Out in the air, out in the air!
Through the sloping meadows fair;—
Who shall guess, O playmate Ellie,
Half our merry mischief there?
Through the sloping meadows fair;—
Who shall guess, O playmate Ellie,
Half our merry mischief there?
And each song thou then dost sing
Shall its fitting guerdon bring;—
Oh! the wild wood strawberries,
Past all child imagining,
Shall its fitting guerdon bring;—
Oh! the wild wood strawberries,
Past all child imagining,
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For their sweetness!—and the brown
Hazle nuts, that drop adown
From full ripeness, 'mid the mosses,
Under hedge rows, overgrown
Hazle nuts, that drop adown
From full ripeness, 'mid the mosses,
Under hedge rows, overgrown
By tall brambles, climbing still
Out of reach, with cunning skill,
Crowned at top with blackest berries—
These shall all be thine at will.
Out of reach, with cunning skill,
Crowned at top with blackest berries—
These shall all be thine at will.
Judge what feasts we'll have, my bird,
In the green-wood, undeterred
By the fear of any gazer,
All our happy laughter heard
In the green-wood, undeterred
By the fear of any gazer,
All our happy laughter heard
By the wood-folk only—by
Heares upstarting timidly,
Squirrel, frisking bold above us,
Or some sage old owl, that sly
Heares upstarting timidly,
Squirrel, frisking bold above us,
Or some sage old owl, that sly
From his nest doth peep, full fain
To discover and make plain,
What the sound is that is neither
Sound of wind, nor sound of rain.
To discover and make plain,
What the sound is that is neither
Sound of wind, nor sound of rain.
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Ay, and then in turning back,
Homeward, in our winding track,
Oh! the posies that we'll gather—
Rose, thyme, meadow-sweet, good lack!
Homeward, in our winding track,
Oh! the posies that we'll gather—
Rose, thyme, meadow-sweet, good lack!
Honey—suckle blooms run wild,
White may blossoms, undefiled—
Crowns of gold for queens' pale foreheads!
Crowns of flowers for thine, my child!
White may blossoms, undefiled—
Crowns of gold for queens' pale foreheads!
Crowns of flowers for thine, my child!
See, I tempt thee, Ellie—say,
Wilt thou be my woodland fay,
And my singing bird of beauty?—
Ah! I dare thee to say nay!
Wilt thou be my woodland fay,
And my singing bird of beauty?—
Ah! I dare thee to say nay!
Wilt thou love me well, and come
To make gladness in my home?—
In my home and heart, O Ellie,
Where all other birds are dumb?
To make gladness in my home?—
In my home and heart, O Ellie,
Where all other birds are dumb?
Draw near—let me smooth away
Those wild tresses . . . welladay!
What a task to catch thee, mischief!
Sunbeams, in the woods at play,
Those wild tresses . . . welladay!
What a task to catch thee, mischief!
Sunbeams, in the woods at play,
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Are caught sooner—now peer out,
Rosy face, and solve my doubt—
Peer out through the soft brown shadows
That enwrap thee round about.
Rosy face, and solve my doubt—
Peer out through the soft brown shadows
That enwrap thee round about.
Loving eyes, my woodland fay—
Open brow, as frank as day,
Lips, with . . . Kisses for sole answers—
Ah! I dared thee to say nay!
Open brow, as frank as day,
Lips, with . . . Kisses for sole answers—
Ah! I dared thee to say nay!
Sing, then, Ellie! joy alone
Sound in each uplifted tone!—
While to wish thee best of blessings,
May God bless thee, little one!
Sound in each uplifted tone!—
While to wish thee best of blessings,
May God bless thee, little one!
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