Bird of the wilderness, Blithesome and cumberless,Sweet be thy matin o"er moorland and lea!
Emblem of happiness, Blest is thy dwelling-place.
Oh, to abide in the desert with thee!
Wild is thy lay and loud, Far in the downy cloud;Love gives it energy, love gave it birth.
Where, on thy dewy wing, Where art thou journeying?
Thy lay is in heaven, thy love is on earth.
O"er fell and fountain sheen, O"er moor and mountain green,O"er the red streamer that heralds the day; Over the cloudlet dim,Over the rainbow"s rim,
Musical cherub, soar, singing, away!
Then, when the gloaming comes, Low in the heather blooms,Sweet will thy welcome and bed of love be!
Emblem of happiness, Blest is thy dwelling-place.
Oh, to abide in the desert with thee !
James Hogg
Author.-James Hogg (1770-1835) was a Scottish poet, who in his youthful days herded cattle and sheep. He is known as " the Ettrick Shepherd. " His published books include Scottish Pastorals, The Mountain Bird, The Queen"s Wake, collections of tales, and a book on diseases of sheep.
General.-Notice the long, swinging rhythm, the number of unusual "poetic " words-blithesome, cumberless, abide, lay, fell, sheen, gloaming. What is a cherub? Why desert? Where did Hogg make his observations of the skylark? Have we an Australian skylark or its equivalent?
