The Meadows In Spring

'Tis a dull

To see the year dying,

When winter

Set the yellow wood sighing:

Sighing, oh! sighing.

When such a time cometh,

I do

Into and old

Beside a bright fire:

Oh, pile a bright fire!

And there I

Reading old things,

Of knights and lorn damsels,

While the wind sings— Oh, drearily sings!

I never look

Nor attend to the blast;

For all to be

Is the leaves falling fast:

Falling, falling!

But close at the hearth,

Like a cricket, sit I,

Reading of

And chivalry— Gallant chivalry!

Then with an old friendI talk of our youth!

How 'twas gladsome, but

Foolish, forsooth:

But gladsome, gladsome!

Or to get

We sing some old rhyme,

That made the wood ring

In summertime— Sweet summertime!

Then go we to smoking,

Silent and snug:

Nought passes between us,

Save a brown jug— Sometimes!

And sometimes a

Will rise in each eye,

Seeing the two old

So merrily— So merrily!

And ere to

Go we, go we,

Down on the

We kneel on the knee,

Praying together!

Thus, then, live I,

Till, 'mid all the gloom,

By heaven! the bold

Is with me in the

Shining, shining!

Then the clouds part,

Swallow soaring between;

The spring is alive,

And the meadows are green!

I jump up, like mad,

Break the old pipe in twain,

And away to the meadows,

The meadows again!