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CRADLE SONG, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: In the darken'd alcove
Last Line: Makes her darling smile.


In the darken'd alcove
Of an humble shed,
Sleeps the baby shadow'd
By its mother's bed.
As he sleeps his eyelids,
Tinted with the rose,
Open up to heaven,
While to earth they close.

And his dreams are many,
He sees all the strand
Strewn with sunlike diamonds,
Flashing through the sand.
And he sees fair ladies,
Bearing, as they go,
Hearts of men enchanted
In their arms of snow.

And he sees bright rivers
In a happier dream,
And a sweet voice singeth
Out of every stream.
All his fair young sisters,
And his sire, are there,
And his mother smilling,
White wings seems to wear.

Brighter things and brighter
Haunt him as he sleeps,
Roses red and lilies
Lie around in heaps.
And blue lakes delightsome,
Where the white fish feeds,
And the soft wave murmurs
To the golden reeds.

Dream on, bonny baby,
Sleep, sweet love of mine,
Ere thy young heart knoweth
How man's days decline;
How the tide shall bear thee
On its backward sweep,
Like a broken seaweed,
Sleep, my darling, sleep.

Careless, thoughtless, joyous,
Sleep while yet you may,
Ere remorseless sorrow
Meet thee in the way;
Ere her icy fingers
On thy sunny brow,
Write the word to-morrow
Where no stain is now.

Innocent he sleepeth,
Angels calm and fair,
Knowing well beforehand
All that he must bear,
Seeing him defenceless,
Without care or fears,
Wet his little fingers,
Kissing them with tears.

He, their kisses meeting,
Saw the tears that fell,
And his lips of honey
Whisper Gabriel.
But the tender angel
Bids the cradle move,
On his lip one finger,
And one raised above.

Then the watchful mother,
Rocking soft and low,
Dreaming some dark vision
Hath disturbed him so;
When she hears him sighing,
Proud and glad the while,
With a rain of kisses
Makes her darling smile.





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