<html xmlns:tei="http://www.tei-c.org/ns/1.0"><body><h1 align="center" class="head">The Little Old Woman</h1><div class="stanza"><p class="line"><span class="smallcaps">There's</span> a Little Old Woman walks in the night,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Singing her love song like a falling keen;</p><p class="line">The Little Old Woman is the heart's delight,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">With the gold crown under her hood to tell her queen.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">The Little Old Woman's coming up this way,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Playing on her harp-strings a magic air;</p><p class="line">There's this one and that one, they may not stay,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Stealing out in the night after the player.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">The Little Old Woman is at the door,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Though 'tis a queen she is, in rags she goes,</p><p class="line">Open the door to her, long-waited for!</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">Oh, Love and Delight you are, the Dear Black Rose.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">The Little Old Woman she is begging bread;</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">She shall never go hungry while the ages pass,</p><p class="line">With the love of her lovers she shall be fed</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And their hearts lie under her feet in the green grass.</p></div><div class="stanza"><p class="line">They go from the lit board and the fire of peat</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">And the dreams and the longing stir in the blood.</p><p class="line">Sweet to be poor with her, yea, death is sweet,</p><p class="line" style="text-indent:5%">For the Dear Rose of Beauty in the beggar's hood.</p></div></body></html> · Great War