"The Lake Spirit's Song"
Being No. 6 of "Songs of the Soiree"
Written & Composed by John Hill Hewitt, 1801-1890

Baltimore, MD: George Willig Junr.
[Source: 042/069a@Levy]

* The words of this song are intended as a response to Moore’s
beautiful lines on the Lake of the Dismal Swamp, beginning
“They made her a grave too cold and damp.”

1.
Come to the lake of the Dismal Swamp,
I wait in my light canoe,
The pale moonbeams dim my fire-fly lamp,
And my drink is the midnight dew.
The ghost of the warrior chief I see,
And he calls me his maiden bride;
And I hear the moan of the cypress tree,
Where the maid by his arrow died,
Where the maid by his arrow died!

2.
Come let us sail in my phantom bark,
And sport in its fox-fire light;
Chase the swift bat with our meteor-spark
’Till the sun drink the dews of night.
We’ll skim o’er the waters blythe and gay,
Tho’ the murderer’s howl we hear;
And we’ll seek a cave for the sun-bright day,
Where we’ll sleep ’till the stars appear,
Where we’ll sleep ’till the stars appear.

3.
Come to my bark, it is moor’d for thee,
The Whippoorwill warbles “come,”
You’ll love, I’m sure, its sad melody;
For it sings o’er your lov’d ones tomb.
My fire-fly lamp begins to burn dim,
The morn star is shining bright;
Now, away­­ away o’er, the lake I skim,
And I bid thee, dearest, good night,
And I bid thee, dearest, good night.