THE COMPLAINT,

&c.

Before I see another day,

Oh let my body die away

In sleep I heard the northern gleams; The stars they were among my dreams ; In sleep did I behold the skies,

I saw the crackling flashes drive;

And yet they are upon my eyes,
And yet I am alive.

Before I see another day,

Oh let my body die away!

My fire is dead: it knew no pain ;
Yet is it dead, and I remain.

All stiff with ice the ashes lie;

And they are dead, and I will die.

When I was well, I wished to live,

For clothes, for warmth, for food, and fire; But they to me no joy can give,

No pleasure now, and no desire.

Then here contented will I lie!

Alone I cannot fear to die.

Alas! you might have dragged me on
Another day, a single one!

Too soon despair o'er me prevailed;

Too soon my heartless spirit failed;

When you were gone my limbs were stronger;
And oh how grievously I rue,
That, afterwards, a little longer,
My Friends, I did not follow you!
For strong and without pain I lay,

My Friends, when you were gone away.

My Child! they gave thee to another,
A woman who was not thy mother.
When from my arms my Babe they took,
On me how strangely did he look!
Through his whole body something ran,
A most strange something did I see;
-As if he strove to be a man,

That he might pull the sledge for me.

And then he stretched his arms, how wild!

Oh mercy! like a little child.

My little joy! my little pride!
In two days more I must have died.
Then do not weep and grieve for me;
I feel I must have died with thee.

Oh wind, that o'er my head art flying
Friends their course did bend,

The way my
I should not feel the pain of dying,

Could I with thee a message send!

Too soon, my Friends, you went away;
For I had many things to say.

I'll follow you across the snow;

You travel heavily and slow :

In spite of all my weary pain,
I'll look upon your tents again.
-My fire is dead, and snowy white
The water which beside it stood;
The wolf has come to me to-night,

And he has stolen away my food.

For ever left alone am I,

Then wherefore should I fear to die?

My journey will be shortly run,

I shall not see another sun;

I cannot lift my limbs to know

If they have any life or no.
My poor forsaken child! if I

For once could have thee close to me,

With happy heart I then should die, And my last thoughts would happy be. I feel my body die away,

I shall not see another day.

LUCY GRAY.

Oft I had heard of Lucy Gray:
And, when I crossed the Wild,

I chanced to see at break of day
The solitary Child.

No Mate, no comrade Lucy knew ;

She dwelt on a wide Moor,

-The sweetest thing that ever grew

Beside a human door!

Within

You yet may spy the Fawn at play,

The Hare upon the Green;

But the sweet face of Lucy Gray

Will never more be seen.