Page:A New Zealand verse (1906).pdf/54

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18

For Love of Appin.

That will clear us to the Lord
When the Angel wi’ the sword
Gangs nightly up the land
O’ an Egypt that is banned.
But God do sae an’ mair
To us, gin we cast a care,
Or smile again for ever
By the prairie or the river,
Lest ony think perchance that we forget
The red road to Appin,—
East awa’ to Appin, —
The red road to Appin that the heart’s blood tracked!

It’s no a desert fairly, it’s grand an’ young an’ fine:
Here the sons o’ Anak might live an’ press the wine:
But it’s O for hame an’ Appin!—
The heather hills o’ Appin!—
The thousand years o’ Appin where the leal men lie!
Our face is set as stane,
But we’ll thank the Lord again,—
Gang saftly a’ our days;
An’ wark shall be our praise.
The bairns will tak’ a root
By the mighty mountain foot;
But we, we canna sever;
It’s no for us whatever;
We hear nae earthly singing
But it sets “Lochaber” ringing.
An’ we’ll never smile again
I’ the sunlight or the rain
Till our feet are on the lang last trail,—
The siller road to Appin,—
East awa’ to Appin,—
The siller road to Appin rinnin’ a’ the way to God!

Jessie Mackay.