The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 14

by Robert Louis Stevenson

A CHILD’S GARDEN OF VERSES

		PAGE
I.	Bed in Summer In winter I get up at night	[3]
II.	A Thought It is very nice to think	[3]
III.	At the Sea-side When I was down beside the sea	[4]
IV.	Young Night Thought All night long, and every night	[4]
V.	Whole Duty of Children A child should always say what’s true	[5]
VI.	Rain The rain is raining all around	[5]
VII.	Pirate Story Three of us afloat in the meadow by the swing	[5]
VIII.	Foreign Lands Up into the cherry-tree	[6]
IX.	Windy Nights Whenever the moon and stars are set	[7]
X.	Travel I should like to rise and go	[7]
XI.	Singing Of speckled eggs the birdie sings	[9]
XII.	Looking Forward When I am grown to man’s estate	[9]
XIII.	A Good Play We built a ship upon the stairs	[9]
XIV.	Where go the Boats? Dark brown is the river	[10]
XV.	Auntie’s Skirts Whenever Auntie moves around	[11]
XVI.	The Land of Counterpane When I was sick and lay a-bed	[11]
XVII.	The Land of Nod From breakfast on all through the day	[12]
XVIII.	My Shadow I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me	[12]
XIX.	System Every night my prayers I say	[13]
XX.	A Good Boy I woke before the morning, I was happy all the day	[14]
XXI.	Escape at Bedtime The lights from the parlour and kitchen shone out	[14]
XXII.	Marching Song Bring the comb and play upon it	[15]
XXIII.	The Cow The friendly cow, all red and white	[16]
XXIV.	Happy Thought The world is so full of a number of things	[16]
XXV.	The Wind I saw you toss the kites on high	[16]
XXVI.	Keepsake Mill Over the borders, a sin without pardon	[17]
XXVII.	Good and Bad Children Children, you are very little	[18]
XXVIII.	Foreign Children Little Indian, Sioux or Crow	[19]
XXIX.	The Sun’s Travels The sun is not a-bed when I	[20]
XXX.	The Lamplighter My tea is nearly ready and the sun has left the sky	[20]
XXXI.	My Bed is a Boat My bed is like a little boat	[21]
XXXII.	The Moon The moon has a face like the clock in the hall	[22]
XXXIII.	The Swing How do you like to go up in a swing	[22]
XXXIV.	Time to Rise A birdie with a yellow bill	[23]
XXXV.	Looking-Glass River Smooth it slides upon its travel	[23]
XXXVI.	Fairy Bread Come up here, O dusty feet	[24]
XXXVII.	From a Railway Carriage Faster than fairies, faster than witches	[24]
XXXVIII.	Winter-Time Late lies the wintry sun a-bed	[25]
XXXIX.	The Hayloft Through all the pleasant meadow-side	[26]
XL.	Farewell to the Farm The coach is at the door at last	[26]
XLI.	North-West Passage	[27]
	1. Good Night When the bright lamp is carried in	[27]
	2. Shadow March All round the house is the jet-black night	[28]
	3. In Port Last, to the chamber where I lie	[28]
THE CHILD ALONE
I.	The Unseen Playmate When children are playing alone on the green	[31]
II.	My Ship and I O it’s I that am the captain of a tidy little ship	[32]
III.	My Kingdom Down by a shining water well	[32]
IV.	Picture-Books in Winter Summer fading, winter comes	[33]
V.	My Treasures These nuts, that I keep in the back of the nest	[34]
VI.	Block City What are you able to build with your blocks	[35]
VII.	The Land of Story-Books At evening when the lamp is lit	[36]
VIII.	Armies in the Fire The lamps now glitter down the street	[37]
IX.	The Little Land When at home alone I sit	[38]
GARDEN DAYS
I.	Night and Day When the golden day is done	[43]
II.	Nest Eggs Birds all the sunny day	[44]
III.	The Flowers All the names I know from nurse	[46]
IV.	Summer Sun Great is the sun, and wide he goes	[46]
V.	The Dumb Soldier When the grass was closely mown	[47]
VI.	Autumn Fires In the other gardens	[49]
VII.	The Gardener The gardener does not love to talk	[49]
VIII.	Historical Associations Dear Uncle Jim, this garden ground	[50]
ENVOYS
I.	To Willie and Henrietta If two may read aright	[55]
II.	To My Mother You too, my mother, read my rhymes	[55]
III.	To Auntie Chief of our aunts—not only I	[56]
IV.	To Minnie The red room with the giant bed	[56]
V.	To my Name-Child Some day soon this rhyming volume, if you learn with proper speed	[58]
VI.	To any Reader As from the house your mother sees	[59]
UNDERWOODS
BOOK I: IN ENGLISH
I.	Envoy Go, little book, and wish to all	[67]
II.	A Song of the Road The gauger walked with willing foot	[67]
III.	The Canoe Speaks On the great streams the ships may go	[68]
IV.	It is the season now to go	[70]
V.	The House Beautiful A naked house, a naked moor	[71]
VI.	A Visit From The Sea Far from the loud sea beaches	[72]
VII.	To a Gardener Friend, in my mountain-side demesne	[73]
VIII.	To Minnie A picture-frame for you to fill	[74]
IX.	To K. de M. A lover of the moorland bare	[74]
X.	To N. V. de G. S. The unfathomable sea, and time, and tears	[75]
XI.	To Will. H. Low Youth now flees on feathered foot	[76]
XII.	To Mrs. Will. H. Low Even in the bluest noonday of July	[77]
XIII.	To H. F. Brown I sit and wait a pair of oars	[78]
XIV.	To Andrew Lang Dear Andrew, with the brindled hair	[79]
XV.	Et tu in Arcadia vixisti (to r. a. m. s.) In ancient tales, O friend, thy spirit dwelt	[80]
XVI.	To W. E. Henley The year runs through her phases; rain and sun	[82]
XVII.	Henry James Who comes to-night? We ope the doors in vain	[83]
XVIII.	The Mirror Speaks Where the bells peal far at sea	[84]
XIX.	Katharine We see you as we see a face	[85]
XX.	To F. J. S. I read, dear friend, in your dear face	[85]
XXI.	Requiem Under the wide and starry sky	[86]
XXII.	The Celestial Surgeon If I have faltered more or less	[86]
XXIII.	Our Lady of the Snows Out of the sun, out of the blast	[87]
XXIV.	Not yet, my soul, these friendly fields desert	[89]
XXV.	It is not yours, O mother, to complain	[90]
XXVI.	The Sick Child O mother, lay your hand on my brow	[92]
XXVII.	In Memoriam F. A. S. Yet, O stricken heart, remember, O remember	[93]
XXVIII.	To my Father Peace and her huge invasion to these shores	[93]
XXIX.	In the States With half a heart I wander here	[94]
XXX.	A Portrait I am a kind of farthing dip	[95]
XXXI.	Sing clearlier, Muse, or evermore be still	[96]
XXXII.	A Camp The bed was made, the room was fit	[96]
XXXIII.	The Country of the Camisards We travelled in the print of olden wars	[96]
XXXIV.	Skerryvore For love of lovely words, and for the sake	[97]
XXXV.	Skerryvore: The Parallel Here all is sunny, and when the truant gull	[97]
XXXVI.	My house, I say. But hark to the sunny doves	[98]
XXXVII.	My body which my dungeon is	[98]
XXXVIII.	Say not of me that weakly I declined	[99]
BOOK II: IN SCOTS
I.	The Maker to Posterity Far ’yont amang the years to be	[105]
II.	Ille Terrarum Frae nirly, nippin’, Eas’lan’ breeze	[106]
III.	When aince Aprile has fairly come	[109]
IV.	A Mile an’ a Bittock A mile an’ a bittock, a mile or twa	[110]
V.	A Lowden Sabbath Morn The clinkum-clank o’ Sabbath bells	[111]
VI.	The Spaewife O, I wad like to ken—to the beggar-wife says I	[116]
VII.	The Blast—1875 It’s rainin’. Weet’s the gairden sod	[116]
VIII.	The Counterblast—1886 My bonny man, the warld, it’s true	[118]
IX.	The Counterblast Ironical It’s strange that God should fash to frame	[120]
X.	Their Laureate to an Academy Class Dinner Club Dear Thamson class, whaure’er I gang	[121]
XI.	Embro Hie Kirk The Lord Himsel’ in former days	[123]
XII.	The Scotsman’s Return from Abroad In mony a foreign pairt I’ve been	[125]
XIII.	Late In the night in bed I lay	[129]
XIV.	My Conscience! Of a’ the ills that flesh can fear	[131]
XV.	To Dr. John Brown By Lyne and Tyne, by Thames and Tees	[133]
XVI.	It’s an owercome sooth for age an’ youth	[135]
BALLADS
THE SONG OF RAHÉRO
A LEGEND OF TAHITI
I.	The Slaying of Támatéa	[139]
II.	The Venging Of Támatéa	[148]
III.	Rahéro	[159]
THE FEAST OF FAMINE
MARQUESAN MANNERS
I.	The Priest’s Vigil	[169]
II.	The Lovers	[172]
III.	The Feast	[176]
IV.	The Raid	[182]
TICONDEROGA
A LEGEND OF THE WEST HIGHLANDS
I.	The Saying of the Name	[189]
II.	The Seeking of the Name	[194]
III.	The Place of the Name	[196]
HEATHER ALE
A GALLOWAY LEGEND
	From the bonny bells of heather	[201]
CHRISTMAS AT SEA
	The sheets were frozen hard	[207]
Notes to The Song of Rahéro		[211]
Notes to The Feast of Famine		[213]
Notes to Ticonderoga		[214]
Note to Heather Ale		[215]
SONGS OF TRAVEL
I.	The Vagabond Give to me the life I love	[219]
II.	Youth and Love—I Once only by the garden gate	[220]
III.	Youth and Love—II To the heart of youth the world is a highwayside	[221]
IV.	In dreams, unhappy, I behold you stand	[221]
V.	She rested by the Broken Brook	[222]
VI.	The infinite shining heavens	[222]
VII.	Plain as the glistering planets shine	[223]
VIII.	To you, let snow and roses	[224]
IX.	Let Beauty awake in the morn from beautiful dreams	[224]
X.	I know not how it is with you	[225]
XI.	I will make you brooches and toys for your delight	[225]
XII.	We have loved of Yore Berried brake and reedy island	[226]
XIII.	Mater Triumphans Son of my woman’s body, you go, to the drum and fife	[227]
XIV.	Bright is the ring of words	[227]
XV.	In the highlands, in the country places	[228]
XVI.	Home no more home to me, whither must I wander	[229]
XVII.	Winter In rigorous hours, when down the iron lane	[230]
XVIII.	The stormy evening closes now in vain	[230]
XIX.	To Dr. Hake In the beloved hour that ushers day	[231]
XX.	To —— I knew thee strong and quiet like the hills	[232]
XXI.	The morning drum-call on my eager ear	[233]
XXII.	I have trod the upward and the downward slope	[233]
XXIII.	He hears with gladdened heart the thunder	[233]
XXIV.	Farewell, fair day and fading light	[233]
XXV.	If this were Faith God, if this were enough	[234]
XXVI.	My Wife Trusty, dusky, vivid, true	[235]
XXVII.	To the Muse Resign the rhapsody, the dream	[236]
XXVIII.	To an Island Princess Since long ago, a child at home	[237]
XXIX.	To Kalakaua The Silver Ship, my King—that was her name	[238]
XXX.	To Princess Kaiulani Forth from her land to mine she goes	[239]
XXXI.	To Mother Maryanne To see the infinite pity of this place	[240]
XXXII.	In Memoriam E. H. I knew a silver head was bright beyond compare	[240]
XXXIII.	To my Wife Long must elapse ere you behold again	[241]
XXXIV.	To my old Familiars Do you remember—can we e’er forget	[242]
XXXV.	The tropics vanish, and meseems that I	[243]
XXXVI.	To S. C. I heard the pulse of the besieging sea	[244]
XXXVII.	The House of Tembinoka Let us, who part like brothers, part like bards	[245]
XXXVIII.	The Woodman In all the grove, nor stream nor bird	[249]
XXXIX.	Tropic Rain As the single pang of the blow, when the metal is mingled well	[254]
XL.	An End of Travel Let now your soul in this substantial world	[255]
XLI.	We uncommiserate pass into the night	[255]
XLII.	Sing me a song of a lad that is gone	[256]
XLIII.	To S. R. Crockett Blows the wind to-day, and the sun and the rain are flying	[257]
XLIV.	Evensong The embers of the day are red	[257]
ADDITIONAL POEMS
I.	A Familiar Epistle Blame me not that this epistle	[261]
II.	Rondels 1. Far have you come, my lady, from the town 2. Nous n’irons plus au bois 3. Since I am sworn to live my life 4. Of his pitiable transformation	[263]
III.	Epistle to Charles Baxter Noo lyart leaves blaw ower the green	[265]
IV.	The Susquehannah and the Delaware Of where or how, I nothing know	[267]
V.	Epistle to Albert Dew-Smith Figure me to yourself, I pray	[268]
VI.	Alcaics to Horatio F. Brown Brave lads in olden musical centuries	[270]
VII.	A Lytle Jape of Tusherie The pleasant river gushes	[272]
VIII.	To Virgil and Dora Williams Here, from the forelands of the tideless sea	[273]
IX.	Burlesque Sonnet Thee, Mackintosh, artificer of light	[273]
X.	The Fine Pacific Islands The jolly English Yellowboy	[274]
XI.	Auld Reekie When chitterin’ cauld the day sall daw	[275]
XII.	The Lesson of the Master Adela, Adela, Adela Chart	[276]
XIII.	The Consecration of Braille I was a barren tree before	[276]
XIV.	Song Light foot and tight foot	[277]

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A CHILD’S

GARDEN OF VERSES

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TO

ALISON CUNNINGHAM

FROM HER BOY

For the long nights you lay awake And watched for my unworthy sake: For your most comfortable hand That led me through the uneven land: For all the story-books you read: For all the pains you comforted: For all you pitied, all you bore, In sad and happy days of yore:— My second Mother, my first Wife, The angel of my infant life— From the sick child, now well and old, Take, nurse, the little book you hold! And grant it, Heaven, that all who read May find as dear a nurse at need, And every child who lists my rhyme, In the bright, fireside, nursery clime, May hear it in as kind a voice As made my childish days rejoice!

R. L. S.

A CHILD’S

GARDEN OF VERSES

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