I 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 rustling conflict through the skies, I heard, I saw the 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! II 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.
III Alas! yemight have dragged me on Another day, a single one! Too soon I yielded to despair; Why did ye listen to my prayer?
When yewere 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, Dear friends, when yewere gone away. IV 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 workingdid 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 helpless child.
V 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.
O wind, that o'er my head art flying The way my friends their course did bend, I should not feel the pain of dying, Could I with thee a message send;
Too soon, my friends, yewent away; For I had many things to say. VI I'll follow you across the snow; Yetravel 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?
VIIYoung as I am, my course is 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 would die, And my last thought would happy be;
But thou, dear Babe, art far away, Nor shall I see another day.
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