Ah, quick her tears are springing,
And quickly they are dried,
For sorrow walks before her,

But gladness walks beside.

She comes with gusts of laughter,—
The music as of rills;

With tenderness and sweetness,

The wisdom of the hills.

Her hands are strong to comfort,
Her heart is quick to heed;
She knows the signs of sadness,
She knows the voice of need;

There is no living creature,
However poor or small,

But she will know its trouble,
And hearken to its call.

Oh, well they fare forever,

By mighty dreams possessed,

Whose hearts have lain a moment.

On that eternal breast.

Bliss Carman [1861

MARCH

SLAYER of winter, art thou here again?

O welcome, thou that bring'st the summer nigh!
The bitter wind makes not thy victory vain,
Nor will we mock thee for thy faint blue sky.
Welcome, O March! whose kindly days and dry
Make April ready for the throstle's song,
Thou first redresser of the winter's wrong!

Yea, welcome, March! and though I die ere June,
Yet for the hope of life I give thee praise,
Striving to swell the burden of the tune
That even now I hear thy brown birds raise,
Unmindful of the past or coming days;
Who sing, "O joy! a new year is begun!

What happiness to look upon the sun!"

March

O, what begetteth all this storm of bliss,
But Death himself, who, crying solemnly,
Even from the heart of sweet Forgetfulness,
Bids us, "Rejoice! lest pleasureless ye die.
Within a little time must ye go by.

Stretch forth your open hands, and, while ye

live,

1351

Take all the gifts that Death and Life may give." William Morris [1834-1896]

SONG IN MARCH

Now are the winds about us in their glee,

Tossing the slender tree;

Whirling the sands about his furious car,

March cometh from afar;

Breaks the sealed magic of old Winter's dreams,

And rends his glassy streams;

Chafing with potent airs, he fiercely takes

Their fetters from the lakes,

And, with a power by queenly Spring supplied,

Wakens the slumbering tide.

With a wild love he seeks young Summer's charms

And clasps her to his arms;

Lifting his shield between, he drives away

Old Winter from his prey;

The ancient tyrant whom he boldly braves,

Goes howling to his caves;

And, to his northern realm compelled to fly,

Yields up the victory;

Melted are all his bands, o'erthrown his towers,

And March comes bringing flowers.

William Gilmore Simms [1806-1870]

MARCH

BLOSSOM on the plum,

Wild wind and merry;
Leaves upon the cherry,

And one swallow come.

Red windy dawn,

Swift rain and sunny;

Wild bees seeking honey,
Crocus on the lawn;

Blossom on the plum.

Grass begins to grow,
Dandelions come;
Snowdrops haste to go
After last month's snow;

Rough winds beat and blow,

Blossom on the plum.

Nora Hopper [1871

WRITTEN IN MARCH

THE Cock is crowing,

The stream is flowing,

The small birds twitter,

The lake doth glitter,

The green field sleeps in the sun;
The oldest and youngest

Are at work with the strongest;

The cattle are grazing,

Their heads never raising;

There are forty feeding like one!

Like an army defeated
The snow hath retreated,
And now doth fare ill

On the top of the bare hill;

The ploughboy is whooping-anon--anon

There's joy in the mountains;

There's life in the fountains;

Small clouds are sailing,

Blue sky prevailing;

The rain is over and gone!

William Wordsworth (1770-1850]

Sweet Wild April

Laughed the running sap in every vein,
Laughed the running flurries of warm rain,

Laughed the life in every wandering root,
Laughed the tingling cells of bud and shoot.

God in all the concord of their mirth

Heard the adoration-song of Earth.

Charles G. D. Roberts [1860

1355

SWEET WILD APRIL

O SWEET Wild April

Came over the hills,

He skipped with the winds

And he tripped with the rills;

His raiment was all

Of the daffodils.

Sing hi,

Sing hey,

Sing ho!

O sweet wild April

Came down the lea,

Dancing along

With his sisters three:

Carnation, and Rose,

And tall Lily.

Sing hi,

Sing hey,
Sing ho!

O sweet wild April,

On pastoral quill

Came piping in moonlight
By hollow and hill,

In starlight at midnight,

By dingle and rill.

Sing hi,

Sing hey,

Sing ho!

Where sweet wild April

His melody played,
Trooped cowslip, and primrose,
And iris, the maid,
And silver narcissus,

A star in the shade.
Sing hi,

Sing hey,

Sing ho!

When sweet wild April

Dipped down the dale,

Pale cuckoopint brightened,

And windflower frail,

And white-thorn, the wood-bride,

In virginal veil.

Sing hi,

Sing hey,

Sing ho!

When sweet wild April

Through deep woods pressed,

Sang cuckoo above him,

And lark on his crest, And Philomel fluttered

Close under his breast.

Sing hi,

Sing hey,

Sing ho!

O sweet wild April,

Wherever you went
The bondage of winter

Was broken and rent,
Sank elfin ice-city

And frost-goblin's tene
Sing hi,
Sing hey,
Sing hol