1 Old elm that murmured in our chimney top
2 The sweetest anthem autumn ever made
3 & into mellow whispering calms would drop
4 When showers fell on thy many coloured shade
5 & when dark tempests mimic thunder made
6 While darkness came as it would strangle light
7 With the black tempest of a winter night
8 That rocked thee like a cradle to thy root
9 How did I love to hear the winds upbraid
10 Thy strength without—while all within was mute
11 It seasoned comfort to our hearts desire
12 We felt thy kind protection like a friend
13 & edged our chairs up closer to the fire
14 Enjoying comforts that was never penned
15 Old favourite tree thoust seen times changes lower
16 Though change till now did never injure thee
17 For time beheld thee as her sacred dower
18 & nature claimed thee her domestic tree
19 Storms came & shook thee many a weary hour
20 Yet stedfast to thy home thy roots hath been
21 Summers of thirst parched round thy homely bower
22 Till earth grew iron—still thy leaves was green
23 The childern sought thee in thy summer shade
24 & made their play house rings of sticks & stone
25 The mavis sang & felt himself alone
26 While in thy leaves his early nest was made
27 & I did feel his happiness mine own
28 Nought heeding that our friendship was betrayed
29 Friend not inanimate—though stocks & stones
30 There are & many formed of flesh & bones
31 Thou owned a language by which hearts are stirred
32 Deeper then by a feeling cloathed in words
33 & speakest now whats known of every tongue
34 Language of pity & the force of wrong
35 What cant a**umes what hypocrites will dare
36 Speaks home to truth & shows it what they are
37 I see a picture which thy fate displays
38 & learn a lesson from thy destiny
39 Self interest saw thee stand in freedoms ways
40 So thy old shadow must a tyrant be
41 Thoust heard the knave abusing those in power
42 Bawl freedom loud & then opress the free
43 Thoust sheltered hypocrites in many a shower
44 That when in power would never shelter thee
45 Thoust heard the knave supply his canting powers
46 With wrongs illusions when he wanted friends
47 That bawled for shelter when he lived in showers
48 & when clouds vanished made thy shade amends
49 With axe at root he felled thee to the ground
50 & barked of freedom—O I hate the sound
51 Time hears its visions speak & age sublime
52 Had made thee a deciple unto time
53 —It grows the cant term of enslaving tools
54 To wrong another by the name of right
55 It grows the liscence of oerbearing fools
56 To cheat plain honesty by force of might
57 Thus came enclosure—ruin was its guide
58 But freedoms clapping hands enjoyed the sight
59 Though comforts cottage soon was thrust aside
60 & workhouse prisons raised upon the scite
61 Een natures dwellings far away from men
62 The common heath became the spoilers prey
63 The rabbit had not where to make his den
64 & labours only cow was drove away
65 No matter—wrong was right & right was wrong
66 & freedoms bawl was sanction to the song
67 —Such was thy ruin music making elm
68 The rights of freedom was to injure thine
69 As thou wert served so would they overwhelm
70 In freedoms name the little that is mine
71 & there are knaves that brawl for better laws
72 & cant of tyranny in stronger powers
73 Who glut their vile unsatiated maws
74 & freedoms birthright from the weak devours