Classic Poem

We'll lay thee down when thou shalt sleep,
All tenderly and brotherly;
And woman's eyes with ours shall weep
The precious drops of sympathy;
We'll spread above thee cedar boughs,
Whose emerald hue and rich perfume
Shall make thee deem thy resting place
A balmy bed, and not a tomb.

That teeming breast which has supplied
Thy wants from earliest infancy,
Shall open fondly, and supply
Unbroken rest and sleep to thee;
Each spring the flower roots shall send up
Their painted emblems to the sky,
To bid thee wait, upon thy couch,
A little longer, patiently.

We'll not forget thee, we who stay
To work a little longer here;
Thy name, thy faith, thy love shall lie
On memory's tablet, bright and clear;
And when o'erwearied by the toil
Of life, our heavy limbs shall be,
We'll come, and one by one lie down
Upon dear mother-earth with thee.

And there we'll slumber by thy side;
There, reunited, 'neath the sod,
We'll wait, nor doubt in His good time
To feel the raising hand of G OD !
To be translated from the earth,
This land of sorrow and complaints,
To the all-perfect Lodge above,
Whose M ASTER is the King of Saints.