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THE FOREST GRAVE.
THE FOREST GRAVE.
Thou green and waving forest!
Amid thy lonely dells,
Amid thy thousand rugged trunks
A voiceless tenant dwells.
Amid thy lonely dells,
Amid thy thousand rugged trunks
A voiceless tenant dwells.
A still, secluded mansion
Is his who sleeps beneath,
"With grassy covering overhead,
And flowing forest-wreath.
Is his who sleeps beneath,
"With grassy covering overhead,
And flowing forest-wreath.
And lonely in its musings,
With voice of melody,
The calm and shade-sequestered stream
Is softly gliding by.
With voice of melody,
The calm and shade-sequestered stream
Is softly gliding by.
Beside the quiet sleeper
It sadly floats along,
As if presiding stillness waked
Its spirit into song.
It sadly floats along,
As if presiding stillness waked
Its spirit into song.
Or does it speak of beauty,
On the face of nature spread,
Or murmur thus in tones of praise
The glory of the dead?
On the face of nature spread,
Or murmur thus in tones of praise
The glory of the dead?
Speak of the silent dweller
Thus low beside thee laid,
And thou, dark forest, tell of him—
The tenant of thy shade!
Thus low beside thee laid,
And thou, dark forest, tell of him—
The tenant of thy shade!
