A BALLAD OF TREES AND THE MASTER

by: Sidney Lanier (1842-1881)

NTO the woods my Master went,

Clean forspent, forspent.

Into the woods my Master came,

Forspent with love and shame.

But the olives they were not blind to Him,

The little gray leaves were kind to Him:

The thorn-tree had a mind to Him

When into the woods He came.

 

Out of the woods my Master went,

And He was well content.

Out of the woods my Master came,

Content with death and shame.

When Death and Shame would woo Him last,

From under the trees they drew Him last:

'Twas on a tree they slew Him--last

When out of the woods He came.

• Sidney Lanier: Bibliography - A bibliography of the works of Sidney Lanier; includes a list of critical and biographical resources.
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