My Love’s Guardian Angel

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As in the cool-aïr'd road I come by,
  --in the night,
  Under the moon-clim'd height o' the sky,
  --in the night,
  There by the lime's broad lim's as I staÿ'd,
  Dark in the moonlight, bough's sheädows plaÿ'd
  Up on the window-glass that did keep
  Lew vrom the wind, my true love asleep,
  --in the night.

  While in the grey-wall'd height o' the tow'r,
  --in the night,
  Sounded the midnight bell wi' the hour,
  --in the night,
  There lo! a bright-heäir'd angel that shed
  Light vrom her white robe's zilvery thread,
  Put her vore-vinger up vor to meäke
  Silence around lest sleepers mid weäke,
  --in the night.

  "Oh! then," I whisper'd, do I behold
  --in the night.
  Linda, my true-love, here in the cwold,
  --in the night?"
  "No," she meäde answer, "you do misteäke:
  She is asleep, but I that do weäke,
  Here be on watch, an' angel a-blest,
  Over her slumber while she do rest,
  --in the night."

  "Zee how the winds, while here by the bough,
  --in the night,
  They do pass on, don't smite on her brow,
  in the night;
  Zee how the cloud-sheädes naïseless do zweep
  Over the house-top where she's asleep.
  You, too, goo by, in times that be near,
  You too, as I, mid speak in her ear
  --in the night."

© William Barnes