Eleven small songs as unpretentious as the wild rose

I love you so, that when the sun shall rise 
No more for you, I shall not fret.
No tears shall gather in my longing eyes,
For I shall seek you ere the sun beset,
Where youth's eternal and the heaven's wide.

The lily lifts to mine her nun-like face,
But my wild heart is beating for the rose;
How can I pause to heed the lily's grace?
Shall I repent me by and by - who knows?

'Tis summer, glorious summer
Within thine eyes divine,
'Tis winter, icy winter
In that silent heart of thine.

'T will not be so forever,
Mine own true love thou art;
In thine eyes it may be winter,
'T will be summer in thine heart.

From blue to red, from red to gold, from gold to gray -
So turns the sky; so fades the light, so ends the day.
From ease to strife, from strife to pain, from pain to peace -
So life shall wane, So grief decline, so toil shall cease.

When church is out, and Jack and Jill in linked seclusion stray,
It takes them two long lonely hours to pick their homeward way;
And as 'tis scarcely half a mile, no reason can I find,
Why it should take so very long, except that love is blind.

The tempest beats upon my soul, 
Dear heart, but I have you;
The world seems cold and I am sad,
Dear heart, but you are true.

How could I sing, how could I smile,
Dear heart, from day to day?
Where could I go, how could I live,
Dear heart, with you away?

The violet lingers in her eye,
The roses on her cheek,
Her dainty lips op poppy leaf
With pearls play hide and seek;
But the dearest of the blossoms,
Which her many charms disclose,
Is the funny little dandelion
freckle on her nose.

When you're sad and lonely, 
do you wish that I were near?
When the world seems cold and dark, 
would my voice give you cheer?
When the tempest beats 
upon the craft you call your heart,
Would you smile to see me, dear, 
and sigh when we should part?

Ever try to crack a smile
When ye'r  feelin' glum?
Er when ye'r all out o' sorts
Jes' to whistle some?
Ef y' do, fust thing y' know,
Y' won't feel so glum,
Things'll kinder jes' clear up
An' the sunshine come.

Ever try to look content
When ye'r sky is black?
Ever try to look for flow'rs
Growin' long yer track?
Ef y' do, fust thing y'  know,
Sky'll jes' git blue,
An ye'll see jes' lots o' flow'rs
Smilin' up at you.

Bedtime 's come fu' little boys.
      Po' little lamb.
Too tiahed out to make a noise,
      Po' little lamb.
[You gwine t']1 have to-morrer sho'?
Yes, you tole me dat befo',
Don't you fool me, chile, no mo',
      Po' little lamb.

You been bad de livelong day,
      Po' little lamb.
Th'owin' stones an' runnin' 'way,
      Po' little lamb.
My, but you 's a-runnin' wil',
Look jes' lak some po' folks chile;
Mam' gwine whup you atter while,
      Po' little lamb.

Come hyeah! you mos' tiahed to def,
      Po' little lamb.
Played yo'se'f clean out o' bref,
      Po' little lamb.
See dem han's now -- sich a sight!
Would you evah b'lieve dey's white?
Stan' still [twell I wash 'em]2 right,
      Po' little lamb.

[ ... ]

Lay yo' haid down in my lap,
      Po' little lamb.
Y' ought to have a right good slap,
      Po' little lamb.
You been runnin' roun' a heap.
Shet dem eyes an' don't you peep,
Dah now, dah now, go to sleep,
      Po' little lamb.

I heard a gentle knocking at the door of my heart,
A timid little voice said, "'Tis I,
Ia m so sad and lonely,
I love you, love you only,
Oh hasten dear and let me in,
I'll just stay until tomorrow,
And then I'll take your sorrow
And carry it for ever from your life.
Why are you hesitating?
Pray do not keep me waiting,
But hasten dear and let me in,
My name is Cupid, only Cupid,
But by and by you'll call me Love.
I'll be your friend indeed,
I'll be your friend in need,
Oh hasten dear and let me in!"

Oh, who could long resist a pleading voice like that,
A tender little voice so sweet?
If he loved me, loved me only,
Then he knew I too were lonely,
When he asked me just to let him in.
He has lightened all my sorrow,
And tomorrow and tomorrow
You will find him living still within my life.
I could part without regretting
Ev'rything but love forgetting,
And Cupid, Love, I've locked you in,
And I will hold the key forever,
Forever, my little love.
You've proved my friend indeed,
I've proved my friend in need,
And from you I will never part.