THE FRIAR OF GENOA
By Scharmel Iris
In Genoa a friar walked;Of every sacred tale he talked;Alone he dwelt, in prayer he knelt;“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”From dawn till dusk he sang.His bruised and blistered feet were bare;His head burned in the sunlight’s glare.On stones he slept, and worked and wept,“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”In every blow or pang.Out of his dole he clothed the poor,And every hardship did endure;He blessed the meek and nursed the weak“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”With each succeeding day.And begged for alms for those in need,A kind word spoke with every deed,With sinners dined and led the blind—“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”Until he passed away.And is his work done? Ah, surprise!Out of the tomb where low he liesA perfume blows, as of a rose:“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”It sings in shade or sun.
In Genoa a friar walked;Of every sacred tale he talked;Alone he dwelt, in prayer he knelt;“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”From dawn till dusk he sang.His bruised and blistered feet were bare;His head burned in the sunlight’s glare.On stones he slept, and worked and wept,“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”In every blow or pang.Out of his dole he clothed the poor,And every hardship did endure;He blessed the meek and nursed the weak“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”With each succeeding day.And begged for alms for those in need,A kind word spoke with every deed,With sinners dined and led the blind—“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”Until he passed away.And is his work done? Ah, surprise!Out of the tomb where low he liesA perfume blows, as of a rose:“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”It sings in shade or sun.
In Genoa a friar walked;Of every sacred tale he talked;Alone he dwelt, in prayer he knelt;“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”From dawn till dusk he sang.
In Genoa a friar walked;
Of every sacred tale he talked;
Alone he dwelt, in prayer he knelt;
“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”
From dawn till dusk he sang.
His bruised and blistered feet were bare;His head burned in the sunlight’s glare.On stones he slept, and worked and wept,“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”In every blow or pang.
His bruised and blistered feet were bare;
His head burned in the sunlight’s glare.
On stones he slept, and worked and wept,
“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”
In every blow or pang.
Out of his dole he clothed the poor,And every hardship did endure;He blessed the meek and nursed the weak“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”With each succeeding day.
Out of his dole he clothed the poor,
And every hardship did endure;
He blessed the meek and nursed the weak
“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”
With each succeeding day.
And begged for alms for those in need,A kind word spoke with every deed,With sinners dined and led the blind—“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”Until he passed away.
And begged for alms for those in need,
A kind word spoke with every deed,
With sinners dined and led the blind—
“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”
Until he passed away.
And is his work done? Ah, surprise!Out of the tomb where low he liesA perfume blows, as of a rose:“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”It sings in shade or sun.
And is his work done? Ah, surprise!
Out of the tomb where low he lies
A perfume blows, as of a rose:
“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”
It sings in shade or sun.
And he who breathes it, him it feeds,And stirs his heart to noble deeds;And one has said, “He is not dead—“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”His life has just begun!”
And he who breathes it, him it feeds,And stirs his heart to noble deeds;And one has said, “He is not dead—“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”His life has just begun!”
And he who breathes it, him it feeds,And stirs his heart to noble deeds;And one has said, “He is not dead—“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”His life has just begun!”
And he who breathes it, him it feeds,
And stirs his heart to noble deeds;
And one has said, “He is not dead—
“Ave Maria, Ave Maria!”
His life has just begun!”