Lines to a Young Child.
Come hither, pretty creature,Come hither from thy play;’Tis in thy happy natureTo gambol all the day.Thy cheek so fair and smiling,Thine eye so softly blue,Awake in me repiningTo be a child like you.Once was I young as thee, love,And played as thou dost now;With heart as light and joyous,Such gladness on my brow.I culled young flowers as gaily,And bound them in a wreath;But soon their hues so lovelyAll withered into death.And like that beauty fading,Have hopes and joys decayed;Bright visions fled for ever,And heart-trust been betrayed.Thus will thy young heart sufferAmid the wrestling strifeOf grief, pain, tears and sorrow,That wait on human life.Yet is a sweet balm givenTo sooth and to appease;The radiant hope of heaven—That land were sorrows cease.Thence cheering rays of brightnessIlluminate earth’s shore,Oh! follow but their guidanceAnd soon thou’lt weep no more!
Come hither, pretty creature,Come hither from thy play;’Tis in thy happy natureTo gambol all the day.Thy cheek so fair and smiling,Thine eye so softly blue,Awake in me repiningTo be a child like you.Once was I young as thee, love,And played as thou dost now;With heart as light and joyous,Such gladness on my brow.I culled young flowers as gaily,And bound them in a wreath;But soon their hues so lovelyAll withered into death.And like that beauty fading,Have hopes and joys decayed;Bright visions fled for ever,And heart-trust been betrayed.Thus will thy young heart sufferAmid the wrestling strifeOf grief, pain, tears and sorrow,That wait on human life.Yet is a sweet balm givenTo sooth and to appease;The radiant hope of heaven—That land were sorrows cease.Thence cheering rays of brightnessIlluminate earth’s shore,Oh! follow but their guidanceAnd soon thou’lt weep no more!
Come hither, pretty creature,Come hither from thy play;’Tis in thy happy natureTo gambol all the day.
Come hither, pretty creature,
Come hither from thy play;
’Tis in thy happy nature
To gambol all the day.
Thy cheek so fair and smiling,Thine eye so softly blue,Awake in me repiningTo be a child like you.
Thy cheek so fair and smiling,
Thine eye so softly blue,
Awake in me repining
To be a child like you.
Once was I young as thee, love,And played as thou dost now;With heart as light and joyous,Such gladness on my brow.
Once was I young as thee, love,
And played as thou dost now;
With heart as light and joyous,
Such gladness on my brow.
I culled young flowers as gaily,And bound them in a wreath;But soon their hues so lovelyAll withered into death.
I culled young flowers as gaily,
And bound them in a wreath;
But soon their hues so lovely
All withered into death.
And like that beauty fading,Have hopes and joys decayed;Bright visions fled for ever,And heart-trust been betrayed.
And like that beauty fading,
Have hopes and joys decayed;
Bright visions fled for ever,
And heart-trust been betrayed.
Thus will thy young heart sufferAmid the wrestling strifeOf grief, pain, tears and sorrow,That wait on human life.
Thus will thy young heart suffer
Amid the wrestling strife
Of grief, pain, tears and sorrow,
That wait on human life.
Yet is a sweet balm givenTo sooth and to appease;The radiant hope of heaven—That land were sorrows cease.
Yet is a sweet balm given
To sooth and to appease;
The radiant hope of heaven—
That land were sorrows cease.
Thence cheering rays of brightnessIlluminate earth’s shore,Oh! follow but their guidanceAnd soon thou’lt weep no more!
Thence cheering rays of brightness
Illuminate earth’s shore,
Oh! follow but their guidance
And soon thou’lt weep no more!