Augusta Webster

Ni-Chan’s Dirge for Yen-Oey

SO soon asleep! Now must the coming years
   Weep ignorantly their loss they cannot know,
And life miss ever what has never been
We weep to-day, let theirs be sadder tears
Who have not seen thee near as we have seen,
   Who shall but learn a hope died long ago.
Alas for flowers untimely winds have broken,
   That should have scattered seed of following flowers!
   Alas for ruin of unbuilded towers!
Alas for ripening words that die unspoken!
   But let them weep with sadder tears than ours
   Who shall but learn a hope died long ago,
A world's hope long ago.