I. “The Wood Beyond the World” WILD-WOOD, FAR-WOOD, & LONELY-LAND, As the poets and artists have written, In the hush of the leaves and the dew on the flowers, It is the place where all is forgotten, And the world grows weary no more.

II. “The Earthly Paradise” So the Earthly Paradise lies beyond, Where rivers run singing through vale and hill, And woods are the dusk of sleep upon the night, For all man’s striving is done, And he finds his soul in the whispering stillness.

III. “The Lovers of the Wood” To the lovers in the wood till the end, Beneath the cloak of green they tread their way, Where leaves dance in the sunlight’s happy play, And the heart finds joy with nature as a friend.

IV. “The Hill: a Dream” From the hill oh dream away, With the warmth of the earth on your breast, As the sky unfolds its arms in twilight’s embrace, For in that space, the heart meets its rest.

V. “A Tale of the Earth” Listen now, for the mountains sing, With whispers of tales held close to their hearts, Of rain and sun, of dark and light, Forever telling the cycle of life and parts.

VI. “The Garden that is Never Seen” Oh to find a garden of blooms untamed, With gentle creatures that flit and play, In a tangled maze of colors that fade, Yet bloom with beauty at the break of day.

VII. “The Bower of Nightingale” Hark! Is that a nightingale sings, In the summer’s sweet night so fair, Each note weaving with stars in the sky, A tapestry of love floating in the air.

VIII. “The Ruined City” Upon the city that time has laid waste, There lies nature’s tender, healing hand, As vines grow o’er the stones of the place, And beauty, once lost, returns to the land.

IX. “The Nymph’s Song” O wild-wood, O fair, save me! save me! With your shadows that dance in the green, For love is but a flutter of wings, A moment, and a whisper unseen.

X. “The Coming of Spring” Lo! The vernal tide breaks forth, When the earth wakes from cold’s cruel embrace, With blossoms blooming, and joy in mirth, A new life begins in spring’s kindly grace.

XI. “The Forest Ring” In the circle of trees where harbors the moon, The soft earth beneath bears secrets so old, As laughter and light blend with a gentle tune, In harmony sweet, in a story retold.

XII. “A Flower of the Weald” There was a flower in the weald so rare, In hues that sparkled with the dew so bright, It told the tales of nature’s gentle care, In whispers soft that break the night.

XIII. “The Stream of Time” Rolling, flowing, the stream of time glides, Past meadows where blossoms dance in the sun, With laughter and sighs, where the heart abides, And streams with the stories of all that’s been done.

XIV. “The Pathway of Dreams” In the twilight glow where the shadows play, There lies a pathway ‘neath the ancient trees, Soft memories linger where the heartbeats sway, To the rhythm of dreams carried on the breeze.

XV. “The Whispering Vale” Where the vale hushes secrets upon the ground, In a silence so deep, the heart can hear, The soft rustle of leaves, the night’s gentle sound, As nature’s embrace draws the weary near.

• William Morris