CORSICAN LULLABY.

BAMBINO in his cradle slept;

And by his side his grandam grim

Bent down and smiled upon the child,

And sung this lullaby to him,—

This “ninna and anninia ":

“When thou art older, thou shalt mind

To traverse countries far and wide,

And thou shalt go where roses blow

And balmy waters singing glide —

So ninna and anninia!

“And thou shalt wear, trimmed up in points,

A famous jacket edged in red,

And, more than that, a peaked hat,

All decked in gold, upon thy head —

Ah! ninna and anninia!

“Then shalt thou carry gun and knife.

Nor shall the soldiers bully thee;

Perchance, beset by wrong or debt,

A mighty bandit thou shalt be —

So ninna and anninia!

“No woman yet of our proud race

Lived to her fourteenth year unwed;

The brazen churl that eyed a girl

Bought her the ring or paid his head —

So ninna and anninia!

“But once came spies ( I know the thieves! )

And brought disaster to our race;

God heard us when our fifteen men

Were hanged within the market-place —

But ninna and anninia!

“Good men they were, my babe, and true,—

Right worthy fellows all, and strong;

Live thou and be for them and me

Avenger of that deadly wrong —

So ninna and anninia!”