The Flood in Spring
Last night below the elem in the lew
Bright the sky did gleam
On water blue, while air did softly blow
On the flowen stream,
An’ there wer gil’cups’ buds untwold,
An’ deaeisies that begun to vwold
Their low-stemm’d blossoms vrom my zight
Ageaen the night, an’ evenen’s cwold.
But, oh! so cwold below the darksome cloud
Soon the night-wind roar’d,
Wi’ rainy storms that zent the zwollen streams
Over ev’ry vword.
The while the drippen tow’r did tell
The hour, wi’ storm-be-smother’d bell,
An’ over ev’ry flower’s bud
Roll’d on the flood, 'ithin the dell.
But when the zun arose, an’ lik’ a rwose
Shone the mornen sky;
An’ roun’ the woak, the wind a-blowen weak,
Softly whiver’d by.
Though drown’d wer still the deaisy bed
Below the flood, its feaece instead
O’ flow’ry grown’, below our shoes
Show’d feaeirest views o’ skies o’er head.
An’ zoo to try if all our faith is true
Jay mid end in tears,
An’ hope, woonce feaeir, mid sadden into fear,
Here in e’thly years.
But He that tried our soul do know
To meaeke us good amends, an’ show
Instead o’ things a-took away,
Some higher jay that He’ll bestow.
Other works by William Barnes...
