O youth, dark, like thy brother Death,
Yet to men welcome as the day,
Breathe o'er me with thy fragrant breath,
And chase my saddening thoughts away.
Oh, take me in thy arms divine,
And lead me where thou wouldst, O sleep;
For I am wholly, truly thine ---
My gratitude to thee is deep.
For soon the east will bring the day,
And when his heaven-lit lamp shall burn,
The cares thy magic sweeps away
Will with his glow again return:
To me thy dark form is more fair
Than ever fairest day can be;
For thy hand scatters far my care --
And that is all-in-all to me.
I feel thy touch upon my brow.
Soft as the hand of her I love;
I feel thy breath fall o'er me now,
Like incense burnt by souls above.
I feel thy soothing, mystic power
Through all my soften'd being thrill;
My cares are with a faded hour,
I bend me freely to thy will.
Then welcome, welcome, balmy sleep,
That call'st with silver voice to me;
Let men who will, wake, laugh, or weep ---
I follow thee! I follow thee!
First published in The Queenslander, 20 March 1869
Author: Edward Booth Loughran (1850-1928) was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and arrived in Australia in 1866. Loughran began working as a teacher before moving to The Argus as a Parliamentary reporter. He died in Kyneton, Victoria, in 1928.
Author reference sites: Austlit
Yet to men welcome as the day,
Breathe o'er me with thy fragrant breath,
And chase my saddening thoughts away.
Oh, take me in thy arms divine,
And lead me where thou wouldst, O sleep;
For I am wholly, truly thine ---
My gratitude to thee is deep.
For soon the east will bring the day,
And when his heaven-lit lamp shall burn,
The cares thy magic sweeps away
Will with his glow again return:
To me thy dark form is more fair
Than ever fairest day can be;
For thy hand scatters far my care --
And that is all-in-all to me.
I feel thy touch upon my brow.
Soft as the hand of her I love;
I feel thy breath fall o'er me now,
Like incense burnt by souls above.
I feel thy soothing, mystic power
Through all my soften'd being thrill;
My cares are with a faded hour,
I bend me freely to thy will.
Then welcome, welcome, balmy sleep,
That call'st with silver voice to me;
Let men who will, wake, laugh, or weep ---
I follow thee! I follow thee!
First published in The Queenslander, 20 March 1869
Author: Edward Booth Loughran (1850-1928) was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and arrived in Australia in 1866. Loughran began working as a teacher before moving to The Argus as a Parliamentary reporter. He died in Kyneton, Victoria, in 1928.
Author reference sites: Austlit
