Song of the Soldiers' Wives & Sweethearts

Written by: Thomas Hardy

At last! In sight of home again,
Of home again;
No more to range and roam again
As at that bygone time?
No more to go away from us And stay from us? ~~
Dawn, hold not long the day from us,
But quicken it to prime!

Now all the town shall ring to them,
Shall ring to them,
And we who love them cling to them
And clasp them joyfully;
And cry, 'O much we'll do for you
Anew for you,
Dear Loves! ~~aye, draw and hew for you,
Come back from oversea.'

Some told us we should meet no more,
Yea, meet no more! ~~
Should wait, and wish, but greet no more
Your faces round our fires;
That, in a while, uncharily
And drearily
Men gave their lives ~~ even wearily,
Like those whom living tires.

And now you are nearing home again,
Dears, home again;
No more, may be, to roam again
As at that bygone time,
Which took you far away from us
To stay from us;
Dawn, hold not long the day from us,
But quicken it to prime!

© Thomas Hardy
*I tried to find the copyright date and the best I can come up with,
is this song/poem was written somewhere around 1863-1865.