A little black thing among the snow，
Crying `'weep！ 'weep！' in notes of woe！
`Where are thy father and mother， say？'——
`They are both gone up to the Church to pray
`Because I was happy upon the heath，
And smil'd among the winter's snow，
They clothèd me in the clothes of death，
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.
`And because I am happy and dance and sing，
They think they have done me no injury，
And are gone to praise God and His Priest and King，
Who make up a Heaven of our misery.'
Crying `'weep！ 'weep！' in notes of woe！
`Where are thy father and mother， say？'——
`They are both gone up to the Church to pray
`Because I was happy upon the heath，
And smil'd among the winter's snow，
They clothèd me in the clothes of death，
And taught me to sing the notes of woe.
`And because I am happy and dance and sing，
They think they have done me no injury，
And are gone to praise God and His Priest and King，
Who make up a Heaven of our misery.'