Classic Poem

" A SHIP , a ship a-sailing,
A-sailing on the sea,
Far wafted o'er the billows
With precious things for me.
It is laden, heavy laden,
With a rare and costly freight,
And it bears a royal maiden
For whom I stand and wait. "

A heart, a heart a-hoping,
A-hoping on the strand,
And longing for the vessel
That ne'er will reach the land.
There are scenes as fair behind it
As ever blessed the sight,
But the hopes, the hopes that blind it
Have stolen all the light.

A life, a life a-wasting
As ebb the tides and flow,
'Tis bitter, bitter tasting
The hopes that turn to woe.
Though a wreck has come for warning
And lies upon the shore,
It is late, too late, for scorning
The hopes that cheer no more.