| William Wilfred Campbell, comp. The Oxford Book of Canadian Verse. 1913. | | | | The Rapid | | By Charles Sangster (1822–1893) |
| | | ALL peacefully gliding, | |
| The waters dividing, | |
| The indolent batteau moved slowly along, | |
| The rowers, light-hearted, | |
| From sorrow long parted, | 5 |
| Beguiled the dull moments with laughter and song; | |
| ‘Hurrah for the rapid! that merrily, merrily | |
| Gambols and leaps on its tortuous way; | |
| Soon we will enter it, cheerily, cheerily, | |
| Pleased with its freshness, and wet with its spray.’ | 10 |
| |
| More swiftly careering, | |
| The wild rapid nearing, | |
| They dash down the stream like a terrified steed; | |
| The surges delight them, | |
| No terrors affright them, | 15 |
| Their voices keep pace with the quickening speed; | |
| ‘Hurrah for the rapid! that merrily, merrily | |
| Shivers its arrows against us in play; | |
| Now we have entered it, cheerily, cheerily, | |
| Our spirits as light as its feathery spray.’ | 20 |
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| Fast downward they’re dashing, | |
| Each fearless eye flashing, | |
| Though danger awaits them on every side; | |
| Yon rock—see it frowning! | |
| They strike—they are drowning! | 25 |
| But downward they speed with the merciless tide; | |
| No voice cheers the rapid, that angrily, angrily | |
| Shivers their bark in its maddening play; | |
| Gaily they entered it—heedlessly, recklessly, | |
| Mingling their lives with its treacherous spray! | 30 | | | |
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