The Riverside song book/Woodman Spare that Tree
WOODMAN, SPARE THAT TREE.
George Pope Morris. Johann Adam Hiller.
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Andante.
1. Woodman, spare that tree, Touch not a sin - gle
bough!
2. That old fa - mil - iar tree, Whose glo - ry and re - nown
3. When but an i - dle boy, I sought its grate - ful shade
4. My heart-strings round thee cling Close as thy bark, old friend;
In youth it shel - tered me, And I'll pro-tect it now.
Are spread o'er land and sea - And would'st thou hew it down?
In all their gush-ing joy Here, too, my sis - ters played.
Here shall the wild-bird sing, And still thy branch-es bend.
'Twas my fore - fa - ther's hand That placed it near his cot;
Wood- man, for - bear thy stroke. Cut not its earth - bound ties!
My mother kissed me here; My fa - ther press'd my hand—
Old tree, the storm still brave! And, wood - man, leave the spot;
Then, wood-man, let it stand, Thy axe shall harm it not.
Oh, spare that a - ged oak Now tow'r-ing to the skies!
For - give this fool-ish tear, But let the old oak stand.
While I've a hand to save, Thy axe shall harm it not.