from "Confederate Songs Published During the War"
"Clarabel" (1866)
Words by Charlie Wildwood
Music by John Hill Hewitt, 1801-1890

Savanna, Augusta & Macon, GA: John C. Schreiner & Sons
New York: William A. Pond & Co.
[Soource: 200001863@LoC/IHAS/CWM]

1. A fragrant wreath of roses fresh, 
  All blooming rich and fair; 
Entwined their loving forms about 
  Her golden waving hair; 
And vain, oh! vainly fried the skies, 
  To rival e’en the hue. 
That danc’d withing her lovelit orbs, 
  Of mild and tender hue.

REFRAIN [sung after each verse]
Oh! Claribel! sweet Claribel! 
My peerless Claribel! 
My darling rosebud! fresh and fair! 
Sweet Claribel!

2. The suns of hope were shining bright, 
  From skies of gala June; 
And all the winds of hea ven seem’d 
  To sigh a tender tune. 
No flower bloom’d but seem’d to say, 
  In accents soft and wild, 
“The graceful, moving Claribel, 
  Is Beauty’s darling child.”

3. But, when the roses faded in
  The pensive autumn time,
There rang from out the village church
  A sad and solemn chime;
And when the forest leaflets fell
  Within the silent dale,
Beneath the sear’d and wither’d sod,
  We laid the maiden pale.

4. We miss her as a thought that smiled
  From eden realms above,
That came on angel wings of light,
  And gazed with eyes of love;
That sang with voice of cherubim,
  And breath’d Joy’s sweetest tones;
But, now forever sped away
  To sing in other zones.

5. We miss her as a smiling flower,
  That bloom’d upon the lawn,
That laughed with every toying breeze,
  But perish’d in the morn;
We mourn her as a star that shone,
  From out the heaven of Truth,
But yet grew dim and faded quite,
  And died within its youth.