Once o'er my dark and troubled life

Once o'er my dark and troubled life,

There shone a ray of light,

But now that cheering ray's withdrawn

Around me all is night.

When children in the dark are left,

And there perforce must stay,

To still their little trembling hearts

They sing a merry lay.

So I, a foolish child, I sing,

In the darkness of my heart

And though the lay be nothing worth

With it my griefs depart.