 | Xeniola |  |
27
BALLAD.
The summer sun was sinking
With a mild light, calm and mellow,
It shone on my little boy's bonny cheeks,
And his loose locks of yellow;
With a mild light, calm and mellow,
It shone on my little boy's bonny cheeks,
And his loose locks of yellow;
The robin was singing sweetly,
And his song was sad and tender;
And my little boy's eyes, while he heard the song,
Smiled with a sweet soft splendour.
And his song was sad and tender;
And my little boy's eyes, while he heard the song,
Smiled with a sweet soft splendour.
My little boy lay on my bosom
While his soul the song was quaffing,
The joy of his soul had tinged his cheek,
And his heart and his eye were laughing:
While his soul the song was quaffing,
The joy of his soul had tinged his cheek,
And his heart and his eye were laughing:
28
I sate alone in my cottage,
The midnight needle plying;
I feared for my child, for the rush's light
In the socket now was dying!
The midnight needle plying;
I feared for my child, for the rush's light
In the socket now was dying!
There came a hand to my lonely latch,
Like the wind at midnight moaning;
I knelt to pray, but rose again,
For I heard my little boy groaning:
Like the wind at midnight moaning;
I knelt to pray, but rose again,
For I heard my little boy groaning:
I crossed my brow and I crossed my breast,
But that night my child departed—
They left a weakling in his stead,
And I am broken-hearted!
But that night my child departed—
They left a weakling in his stead,
And I am broken-hearted!
Oh! it cannot be my own sweet boy,
For his eyes are dim and hollow,
My little boy is gone—is gone,
And his mother soon will follow!
For his eyes are dim and hollow,
My little boy is gone—is gone,
And his mother soon will follow!
The dirge for the dead will be sung for me,
And the mass be chaunted meetly,
And I shall sleep with my little boy,
In the moonlight churchyard sweetly.
And the mass be chaunted meetly,
And I shall sleep with my little boy,
In the moonlight churchyard sweetly.
1816.
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