The Flood In Spring

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Last night below the elem in the lew
  Bright the sky did gleam
  On water blue, while aïr did softly blow
  On the flowèn stream,
  An' there wer gil'cups' buds untwold,
  An' deäisies that begun to vwold
  Their low-stemm'd blossoms vrom my zight
  Ageän the night, an' evenèn's cwold.

  But, oh! so cwold below the darksome cloud
  Soon the night-wind roar'd,
  Wi' raïny storms that zent the zwollèn streams
  Over ev'ry vword.
  The while the drippèn tow'r did tell
  The hour, wi' storm-be-smother'd bell,
  An' over ev'ry flower's bud
  Roll'd on the flood, 'ithin the dell.

  But when the zun arose, an' lik' a rwose
  Shone the mornèn sky;
  An' roun' the woak, the wind a-blowèn weak,
  Softly whiver'd by.
  Though drown'd wer still the deaïsy bed
  Below the flood, its feäce instead
  O' flow'ry grown', below our shoes
  Show'd feäirest views o' skies o'er head.

  An' zoo to try if all our faïth is true
  Jaÿ mid end in tears,
  An' hope, woonce feäir, mid saddèn into fear,
  Here in e'thly years.
  But He that tried our soul do know
  To meäke us good amends, an' show
  Instead o' things a-took awaÿ,
  Some higher jaÿ that He'll bestow.

© William Barnes