New Zealand Verse/Cradle Song
CIX.
Cradle Song.
Song of the night, song of the day,
Where are the forms that we fondled alway?
Song of the eve, song of the morn,
Soon they forsake us as others are born;
Mothers sit watching with faces of love,
God watches them from His Heaven above;
Life is a task, set with a vow,—
Babies that slept in us, where are ye now?
Where are the forms that we fondled alway?
Song of the eve, song of the morn,
Soon they forsake us as others are born;
Mothers sit watching with faces of love,
God watches them from His Heaven above;
Life is a task, set with a vow,—
Babies that slept in us, where are ye now?
Up from our arm, up from our breast,
Where are ye wandered in East or in West?
Mothers may love, mothers may croon,
Ye become stripling and maiden too soon;
Stripling and maiden,—and lo the refrain
Crooned by the mother is murmured again:
Life is a war, life is a race,—
Over the cradle a heavenly face.
Where are ye wandered in East or in West?
Mothers may love, mothers may croon,
Ye become stripling and maiden too soon;
Stripling and maiden,—and lo the refrain
Crooned by the mother is murmured again:
Life is a war, life is a race,—
Over the cradle a heavenly face.
“Son of my heart, where wilt thou go?
Empty mine arms when thou leavest me so;—
Where wilt thou speed, daughter of mine?
Look in my face as I looked upon thine:—
Earth is a wilderness open and wide;
Shun ye its evil, and God be your Guide:
Children of mine, go on your way—
Think ye of mother when ageing and grey!
Empty mine arms when thou leavest me so;—
Where wilt thou speed, daughter of mine?
Look in my face as I looked upon thine:—
Earth is a wilderness open and wide;
Shun ye its evil, and God be your Guide:
Children of mine, go on your way—
Think ye of mother when ageing and grey!
“Goest so soon, idol of love?
Goest so soon to the Father above?
Thou in mine arms cradled shalt be:—
Goest so soon from thy cradle and me?
Earth is too wide for thy weak little feet?
Life is too weary?—and Heaven so sweet?
Idol of love; soul of my heart;
Heaven is thine who of Heaven wast part.”
Goest so soon to the Father above?
Thou in mine arms cradled shalt be:—
Goest so soon from thy cradle and me?
Earth is too wide for thy weak little feet?
Life is too weary?—and Heaven so sweet?
Idol of love; soul of my heart;
Heaven is thine who of Heaven wast part.”
Life and its toil, death and its sleep,
Children must wander and mothers will weep;
Life is so wide, death is so cold,
Other embraces than mother’s enfold:—
Children are mothers and mothers are gone,
Cradles are rocking for evermore on;
Children are born, never remain,—
Life is a rocking of pleasure and pain.
Children must wander and mothers will weep;
Life is so wide, death is so cold,
Other embraces than mother’s enfold:—
Children are mothers and mothers are gone,
Cradles are rocking for evermore on;
Children are born, never remain,—
Life is a rocking of pleasure and pain.