William Blake (1757–1827). The Poetical Works. 1908.
Songs of ExperienceThe Little Girl Lost
I
I prophetic see
That the earth from sleep
(Grave the sentence deep)
For her Maker meek;
And the desert wild
Become a garden mild.
Where the summer’s prime
Never fades away,
Lovely Lyca lay.
Lovely Lyca told;
She had wander’d long
Hearing wild birds’ song.
Underneath this tree.
Do father, mother, weep?
Where can Lyca sleep?
Is your little child.
How can Lyca sleep
If her mother weep?
Then let Lyca wake;
If my mother sleep,
Lyca shall not weep.
O’er this desert bright,
Let thy moon arise
While I close my eyes.’
While the beasts of prey,
Come from caverns deep,
View’d the maid asleep.
And the virgin view’d,
Then he gamboll’d round
O’er the hallow’d ground.
Round her as she lay,
While the lion old
Bow’d his mane of gold
And upon her neck
From his eyes of flame
Ruby tears there came;
Loos’d her slender dress,
And naked they convey’d
To caves the sleeping maid.