I am the pillars of the house; The keystone of the arch am I.Take me away, and roof and wall Would fall to ruin utterly.
I am the fire upon the hearth, I am the light of the good sun.I am the heat that warms the earth, Which else were colder than a stone.
At me the children warm their hands; I am their light of love alive.Without me cold the hearthstone stands, Nor could the precious children thrive.
I am the twist that holds together The children in its sacred ring,Their knot of love, from whose close tether No lost child goes a-wandering.
I am the house from floor to roof. I deck the walls, the board I spread;I spin the curtains, warp and woof, And shake the down to be their bed.
I am their wall against all danger, Their door against the wind and snow.Thou Whom a woman laid in manger, Take me not till the children grow!
