Mother, how thy little darlingSoftly twines its tiny arms’Round thy neck, like infant tendrils,Bright with more than earthly charms.What callest thou the baby cherub?O can mortals find a name,Suited to its guileless spirit,And its fair and fragile frame?The rose is on its snowy cheek,Fresh as when embalmed with dew,And O, its eyes are like the stars,’Tween the soft clouds glancing through!The ruby lip that mutely smiles,The waving of the curls of gold,The changing glances of the eye,All shadow forth bright thoughts untold.I know that in its sinless breast,Embowered in the little heart,Thoughts primitive steal softly on,And Love’s own happy flowers start.God’s Spirit oft may light its mindWith thoughts of gladness from above;Too fair for earth, thy darling seems;Let angels name the little Love.O! let it never see a frown,Nor hear a cold or cruel word;Its eye will imitate thy glance;Its tongue repeat whate’er is heard.O guard, with prayer, this angel germ;This bud upon Life’s ocean tossed,Lest thou shouldst ever see thy childNumbered among the loved and lost.O guard, with prayer, this deathless bud!That lust may never blight its bloom;And thou shalt see this cherished oneIn realms of peace beyond the tomb.Teach it to fold those little hands,And bend the knee to Christ in prayer:And all the wishes of the heartTo tell the Lord who listens there.Teach it to plead the promises,Bequeathed in the sweet Book divine,If thou wouldst have this child of earthAmong the stars of Heaven to shine.
Mother, how thy little darlingSoftly twines its tiny arms’Round thy neck, like infant tendrils,Bright with more than earthly charms.What callest thou the baby cherub?O can mortals find a name,Suited to its guileless spirit,And its fair and fragile frame?The rose is on its snowy cheek,Fresh as when embalmed with dew,And O, its eyes are like the stars,’Tween the soft clouds glancing through!The ruby lip that mutely smiles,The waving of the curls of gold,The changing glances of the eye,All shadow forth bright thoughts untold.I know that in its sinless breast,Embowered in the little heart,Thoughts primitive steal softly on,And Love’s own happy flowers start.God’s Spirit oft may light its mindWith thoughts of gladness from above;Too fair for earth, thy darling seems;Let angels name the little Love.O! let it never see a frown,Nor hear a cold or cruel word;Its eye will imitate thy glance;Its tongue repeat whate’er is heard.O guard, with prayer, this angel germ;This bud upon Life’s ocean tossed,Lest thou shouldst ever see thy childNumbered among the loved and lost.O guard, with prayer, this deathless bud!That lust may never blight its bloom;And thou shalt see this cherished oneIn realms of peace beyond the tomb.Teach it to fold those little hands,And bend the knee to Christ in prayer:And all the wishes of the heartTo tell the Lord who listens there.Teach it to plead the promises,Bequeathed in the sweet Book divine,If thou wouldst have this child of earthAmong the stars of Heaven to shine.
Mother, how thy little darlingSoftly twines its tiny arms’Round thy neck, like infant tendrils,Bright with more than earthly charms.
Mother, how thy little darling
Softly twines its tiny arms
’Round thy neck, like infant tendrils,
Bright with more than earthly charms.
What callest thou the baby cherub?O can mortals find a name,Suited to its guileless spirit,And its fair and fragile frame?
What callest thou the baby cherub?
O can mortals find a name,
Suited to its guileless spirit,
And its fair and fragile frame?
The rose is on its snowy cheek,Fresh as when embalmed with dew,And O, its eyes are like the stars,’Tween the soft clouds glancing through!
The rose is on its snowy cheek,
Fresh as when embalmed with dew,
And O, its eyes are like the stars,
’Tween the soft clouds glancing through!
The ruby lip that mutely smiles,The waving of the curls of gold,The changing glances of the eye,All shadow forth bright thoughts untold.
The ruby lip that mutely smiles,
The waving of the curls of gold,
The changing glances of the eye,
All shadow forth bright thoughts untold.
I know that in its sinless breast,Embowered in the little heart,Thoughts primitive steal softly on,And Love’s own happy flowers start.
I know that in its sinless breast,
Embowered in the little heart,
Thoughts primitive steal softly on,
And Love’s own happy flowers start.
God’s Spirit oft may light its mindWith thoughts of gladness from above;Too fair for earth, thy darling seems;Let angels name the little Love.
God’s Spirit oft may light its mind
With thoughts of gladness from above;
Too fair for earth, thy darling seems;
Let angels name the little Love.
O! let it never see a frown,Nor hear a cold or cruel word;Its eye will imitate thy glance;Its tongue repeat whate’er is heard.
O! let it never see a frown,
Nor hear a cold or cruel word;
Its eye will imitate thy glance;
Its tongue repeat whate’er is heard.
O guard, with prayer, this angel germ;This bud upon Life’s ocean tossed,Lest thou shouldst ever see thy childNumbered among the loved and lost.
O guard, with prayer, this angel germ;
This bud upon Life’s ocean tossed,
Lest thou shouldst ever see thy child
Numbered among the loved and lost.
O guard, with prayer, this deathless bud!That lust may never blight its bloom;And thou shalt see this cherished oneIn realms of peace beyond the tomb.
O guard, with prayer, this deathless bud!
That lust may never blight its bloom;
And thou shalt see this cherished one
In realms of peace beyond the tomb.
Teach it to fold those little hands,And bend the knee to Christ in prayer:And all the wishes of the heartTo tell the Lord who listens there.
Teach it to fold those little hands,
And bend the knee to Christ in prayer:
And all the wishes of the heart
To tell the Lord who listens there.
Teach it to plead the promises,Bequeathed in the sweet Book divine,If thou wouldst have this child of earthAmong the stars of Heaven to shine.
Teach it to plead the promises,
Bequeathed in the sweet Book divine,
If thou wouldst have this child of earth
Among the stars of Heaven to shine.
endpaper divider