Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume I. Of Home: of Friendship. 1904. | | | | Poems of Friendship | | The Mahogany-Tree | | William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863) |
| | | CHRISTMAS is here; | |
| Winds whistle shrill, | |
| Icy and chill, | |
| Little care we; | |
| Little we fear | 5 |
| Weather without, | |
| Sheltered about | |
| The mahogany-tree. | |
| |
| Once on the boughs | |
| Birds of rare plume | 10 |
| Sang, in its bloom; | |
| Night-birds are we; | |
| Here we carouse, | |
| Singing, like them, | |
| Perched round the stem | 15 |
| Of the jolly old tree. | |
| |
| Here let us sport, | |
| Boys, as we sit,— | |
| Laughter and wit | |
| Flashing so free. | 20 |
| Life is but short,— | |
| When we are gone, | |
| Let them sing on, | |
| Round the old tree. | |
| |
| Evenings we knew, | 25 |
| Happy as this; | |
| Faces we miss, | |
| Pleasant to see. | |
| Kind hearts and true, | |
| Gentle and just, | 30 |
| Peace to your dust! | |
| We sing round the tree. | |
| |
| Care, like a dun, | |
| Lurks at the gate: | |
| Let the dog wait; | 35 |
| Happy we ’ll be! | |
| Drink, every one; | |
| Pile up the coals; | |
| Fill the red bowls, | |
| Round the old tree! | 40 |
| |
| Drain we the cup,— | |
| Friend, art afraid? | |
| Spirits are laid | |
| In the Red Sea. | |
| Mantle it up; | 45 |
| Empty it yet; | |
| Let us forget, | |
| Round the old tree! | |
| |
| Sorrows, begone! | |
| Life and its ills, | 50 |
| Duns and their bills, | |
| Bid we to flee. | |
| Come with the dawn, | |
| Blue-devil sprite; | |
| Leave us to-night, | 55 |
| Round the old tree! | | | | |
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