Lyrics:
Come sit by me, mother,
I'd fain have thee near me,
For where is the one who can comfort me now?
Thy loving face only, to earth could endear me,
Now she whom I love so has broken her vow.
Yet blame her not, mother, they said I had perished,
Had yielded my life with my face to the foe,
Ah! better 'twere so than the hopes that I cherished,
Had pointed a future I never can know.
chorus:
Come sit by me, mother,
I'd fain have thee near me,
For where is the one who can comfort me now?
Thy loving face only, to earth could endear me,
Now she whom I love so has broken her vow!
Come sit by me, mother,
And hear my sad story:
Oh, dark was the hour when I bade her farewell!
Where battle was raging, for honor and glory,
I sped from my darling with hopes none can tell,
Her dear, loving letters how foolly I kissed them,
THey spoke of the day when in joy we would meet;
I deem'd her still mine, tho' for months I had missed them,
Nor dreamt that another had knelt at her feet!
I've seen her, my mother,
I've seen that cheek whiten
Where roses were blooming a moment before,
I've seen the eyes droop that were once wont to brighten,
And give me a welcome they'll give me no more.
Then pity her, mother, I know they deceived her,
I know that her heart has been never untrue,
Go to her and say to the last I believed her,
And my eyes have been closed, dearest mother, by you!
