Amen! whatever fate be sent, Pray God the heart may kindly glow, Although the head with cares be bent, And whitened with the winter snow. Come wealth or want, come good or ill, Let young and old accept their part, And bow before the Awful Will, And bear it with an honest heart. Who misses, or who wins the prize? Go, lose or conquer as you can: But if you fail, or if you rise, Be each, pray God, a gentleman. A gentleman, or old or young! (Bear kindly with my humble lays ;) The sacred chorus first was sung And peace on earth to gentle men. My song, save this, is little worth; And wish you health, and love, and mirth, As fits the solemn Christmas-tide. As fits the holy Christmas birth, Be this, good friends, our carol stillBe peace on earth, be peace on earth, To men of gentle will. You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear; There's many a black black eye, they say, but none so bright as mine; But none so fair as little Alice in all the land they say, So I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. I sleep so sound all night, mother, that I shall never wake, For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. As I came up the valley, whom think ye should I see, But Robin leaning on the bridge beneath the hazel-tree? He thought of that sharp look, mother, I gave him yesterday, But I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. He thought I was a ghost, mother, for I was all in white, For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. They say he's dying all for love, but that can never be: They say his heart is breaking, mother,―what is that to me? For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. Little Effie shall go with me to-morrow to the green, And you'll be there, too, mother, to see me made the Queen; For the shepherd-lads on every side 'ill come from far away, And I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. The honeysuckle round the porch has wov'n its wavy bowers, The night-winds come and go, mother, upon the meadow-grass, All the valley, mother, 'ill be fresh and green and still, And the cowslip and the crowfoot are over all the hill, And the rivulet in the flowery dale 'ill merrily glance and play, So you must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear, For I'm to be Queen o' the May, mother, I'm to be Queen o' the May. . NEW-YEAR'S EVE If you're waking call me early, call me early, mother dear, It is the last New-year that I shall ever see, Then you may lay me low i' the mould, and think no more of me. To-night I saw the sun set: he set and left behind The good old year, the dear old time, and all my peace of mind; And the New-year's coming up, mother, but I shall never see The blossom on the blackthorn, the leaf upon the tree. Last May we made a crown of flowers; we had a merry day: There's not a flower on all the hills: the frost is on the pane: I wish the snow would melt, and the sun come out on high: I long to see a flower so before the day I die. The building rook 'ill caw from the windy tall elm-tree, And the tufted plover pipe along the fallow lea, And the swallow 'ill come back again with summer o'er the wave,But I shall lie alone, mother, within the mouldering grave. Upon the chancel-casement, and upon that grave of mine, When the flowers come again, mother, beneath the waning light You'll bury me, my mother, just beneath the hawthorn shade, I have been wild and wayward, but you'll forgive me now; If I can I'll come again, mother, from out my resting-place; She'll find my garden-tools upon the granary floor: Let her take 'em they are hers: I shall never garden more: Good-night, sweet mother: call me before the day is born. |