Through October Fields by James Edwin Campbell

Lyrics

The startled quail in covies whir From 'neath your feet as on you stray Along the narrow thread-like path This cool October day The grouse's booming drum of bass Peals from the hollow on your right Till 'larumed by your near approach He wheels in sudden flight And on the trunk of yon dead tree The flicker beats his fierce tattoo Then hurls back from his wave-like flight Defiance shrill to you On every side the golden rod's Long, graceful plumes of tawny gold And ageratum's purple bloom — The banners of the wold The stubble of thе June-reaped whеat Stands up in bristling ranks of spears Its gold is covered now with frost Like warriors grey with years And over all the golden haze Soft wraps the brown Earth in a dream While every breath across the fields Rich draughts of rare wines seem There in the stream beneath the elms The leaves, like ships of Lil'put, fair Drift down, sans rudders and sans sails To ports that lie nowhere See in the field beyond the stream Pitched wide o'er all the bottom land An Indian village quaintly shown The cornshock wigwams stand Now, you are "near to nature's heart," You lie upon her tawny breast; You feel her warm breath on your cheek As in her arms you rest