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To a Waterfowl Lyrics by William Cullen Bryant

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Whither, 'midst falling dew,
While glow the heavens with the last steps of day,
Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue
         Thy solitary way?
         Vainly the fowler’s eye
Might mark thy distant flight, to do thee wrong,
As, darkly seen against the crimson sky,
         Thy figure floats along.
        Seek’st thou the plashy brink
Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide,
Or where the rocking billows rise and sink
        On the chaféd ocean side?
         There is a Power, whose care
Teaches thy way along that pathless coast,—
The desert and illimitable air
        Lone wandering, but not lost.
         All day thy wings have fanned,
At that far height, the cold thin atmosphere;
Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land,
         Though the dark night is near.
        And soon that toil shall end,
Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest,
And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend,
         Soon, o’er thy sheltered nest.
         Thou’rt gone, the abyss of heaven
Hath swallowed up thy form, yet, on my heart
Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given,
        And shall not soon depart.
         He, who, from zone to zone,
Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight,
In the long way that I must trace alone,
        Will lead my steps aright.
Credits
William Cullen Bryant

William Cullen Bryant

About “To a Waterfowl” by William Cullen Bryant

Read the complete lyrics to "To a Waterfowl" by William Cullen Bryant. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Romanticism Literature, Poetry, Non-Music.

"To a Waterfowl" is performed by William Cullen Bryant. This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "To a Waterfowl", explore more songs by William Cullen Bryant using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"To a Waterfowl" is credited to William Cullen Bryant. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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