William Blake (17571827). The Poetical Works. 1908. | | Songs of Experience | The Little Girl Found |
| ALL the night in woe | |
Lycas parents go | |
Over valleys deep, | |
While the deserts weep. | |
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Tired and woe-begone, | 5 |
Hoarse with making moan, | |
Arm in arm seven days | |
They tracd the desert ways. | |
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Seven nights they sleep | |
Among shadows deep, | 10 |
And dream they see their child | |
Starvd in desert wild. | |
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Pale, thro pathless ways | |
The fancied image strays | |
Famishd, weeping, weak, | 15 |
With hollow piteous shriek. | |
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Rising from unrest, | |
The trembling woman prest | |
With feet of weary woe: | |
She could no further go. | 20 |
|
In his arms he bore | |
Her, armd with sorrow sore; | |
Till before their way | |
A couching lion lay. | |
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Turning back was vain: | 25 |
Soon his heavy mane | |
Bore them to the ground. | |
Then he stalkd around, | |
|
Smelling to his prey; | |
But their fears allay | 30 |
When he licks their hands, | |
And silent by them stands. | |
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They look upon his eyes | |
Filld with deep surprise; | |
And wondering behold | 35 |
A spirit armd in gold. | |
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On his head a crown; | |
On his shoulders down | |
Flowd his golden hair. | |
Gone was all their care. | 40 |
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Follow me, he said; | |
Weep not for the maid; | |
In my palace deep | |
Lyca lies asleep. | |
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Then they followèd | 45 |
Where the vision led, | |
And saw their sleeping child | |
Among tigers wild. | |
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To this day they dwell | |
In a lonely dell; | 50 |
Nor fear the wolfish howl | |
Nor the lions growl. | | | |
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