 | Moral songs |  |
THE WATER-LILY.
O, mother, on the stream afloat,
I saw a water-lily pale,
Just like unto a silver boat,
Wherein a little man might sail:
I saw a water-lily pale,
Just like unto a silver boat,
Wherein a little man might sail:
A little man, if such could be,
No bigger than a finger high;—
I stood upon the bank to see,
How fast it would go sailing by.
No bigger than a finger high;—
I stood upon the bank to see,
How fast it would go sailing by.
I saw a feather carried past,
Dropped from the wing of some wild bird,
A green leaf borne there by the blast,
But not an inch the lily stirred.
Dropped from the wing of some wild bird,
A green leaf borne there by the blast,
But not an inch the lily stirred.
The rapid current to and fro,
Did rock it, at its own wild will;
But could not make it onward go:
I marvelled how it stayed so still.
Did rock it, at its own wild will;
But could not make it onward go:
I marvelled how it stayed so still.
But then I saw beneath the tide,
Its root was fastened firm and strong,
Where eels, and slimy creatures hide,
And little fishes glide along.
Its root was fastened firm and strong,
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And little fishes glide along.
So like an anchored ship it lay,
And though the waves in ceaseless race
Could heave, and toss it night and day,
They could not move it from its place.
And though the waves in ceaseless race
Could heave, and toss it night and day,
They could not move it from its place.
No more of silver boat I'll dream,
By fairy man rowed toward the sea,
That rooted lily on the stream,
Shall be a type of me, and thee.
By fairy man rowed toward the sea,
That rooted lily on the stream,
Shall be a type of me, and thee.
O mother dear, in thine, my heart,
So fondly, firmly, would I set,
The change that other loves may part,
Should never teach me to forget.
So fondly, firmly, would I set,
The change that other loves may part,
Should never teach me to forget.
Still would I have one place of rest,
When life's rude waves shall rise and fall,
The love within thy gentle breast,
Shall be my comfort through them all,
When life's rude waves shall rise and fall,
The love within thy gentle breast,
Shall be my comfort through them all,
Thy holy words that heaven-ward led,
Thy toils, thy counsels, and thy cares,
The light thy smiles around me shed,
The blessing of thy earnest prayers.
Thy toils, thy counsels, and thy cares,
The light thy smiles around me shed,
The blessing of thy earnest prayers.
O mother dear, the tide may roll,
The rooted lily will not move.
And time can never change the soul,
That's anchored in a mother's love.
The rooted lily will not move.
And time can never change the soul,
That's anchored in a mother's love.
| Moral songs | |