"O good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge, Peace for a little while! Methinks I see my own father, Come riding by the stile. "Oh father, oh father, a little of your gold, And likewise of your fee! To keep my body from yonder grave, And my neck from the gallows-tree." "None of my gold now you shall have, Nor likewise of my fee; For I am come to see you hangd, And hanged you shall be." "Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge, Peace for a little while! Methinks I see my own mother, Come riding by the stile. "Oh mother, oh mother, a little of your gold, And likewise of your fee, To keep my body from yonder grave, And my neck from the gallows-tree!" "None of my gold now shall you have, Nor likewise of my fee; For I am come to see you hangd, And hanged you shall be." "Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge, Peace for a little while! Methinks I see my own brother, Come riding by the stile. "Oh brother, oh brother, a little of your gold, And likewise of your fee, To keep my body from yonder grave, And my neck from the gallows-tree!" "None of my gold now shall you have, Nor likewise of my fee; For I am come to see you hangd, And hanged you shall be." "Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge, Peace for a little while! Methinks I see my own sister, Come riding by the stile. "Oh sister, oh sister, a little of your gold, And likewise of your fee, To keep my body from yonder grave, And my neck from the gallows-tree!" "None of my gold now shall you have, Nor likewise of my fee; For I am come to see you hangd, And hanged you shall be." "Oh good Lord Judge, and sweet Lord Judge, Peace for a little while! Methinks I see my own true-love, Come riding by the stile. "Oh true-love, oh true-love, a little of your gold, And likewise of your fee, To save my body from yonder grave, And my neck from the gallows-tree." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BEAUTY THAT IS NEVER OLD by JAMES WELDON JOHNSON GIRL IN A CAGE by CARL SANDBURG |