Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry.
Volume I. Of Home: of Friendship. 1904. | | | | Poems of Home: II. For Children | | “Let dogs delight to bark and bite” | | Isaac Watts (1674–1748) |
| | | LET dogs delight to bark and bite, | |
| For God hath made them so; | |
| Let bears and lions growl and fight, | |
| For ’t is their nature to; | |
| |
| But, children, you should never let | 5 |
| Your angry passions rise; | |
| Your little hands were never made | |
| To tear each other’s eyes. | |
| |
| Let love through all your actions run, | |
| And all your words be mild; | 10 |
| Live like the blessèd Virgin’s Son,— | |
| That sweet and lovely child. | |
| |
| His soul was gentle as a lamb; | |
| And as his stature grew, | |
| He grew in favor both with man | 15 |
| And God his father, too. | |
| |
| Now, Lord of all, he reigns above; | |
| And from his heavenly throne, | |
| He sees what children dwell in love, | |
| And marks them for his own. | 20 | | | |
|
|
