O! for the shade of the sycamore,
That spreadeth its boughs at my cottage door!
O! for the kiss of my bonnie bride,
And the welcome glow of her warm fireside;
And O! for the smile of my bonnie boy,
And the pleasant sounds of its childish joy!
Here, rolling about on the pelting foam,
How my heart yearns for its quiet home!
O! I long to listen at morning's time
To the sweet lark's song, or the far bells' chime;
For sad to mine ear is the sea-bird's cry,
And the howl of the wind as it wanders by.
O! if ever I see my beloved one more,
And the friendly latch of her cottage door,
Never again from her trusting heart
Shall the sire of her bonnie babe depart!
Safe in the harbour of home at last
I'll tell the tale of my dangers past.
O! for my cottage beside the sea,
And the peaceful shade of my sycamore tree!