Il testo della The burning babe

As i in hoary winter's night
Stood shivering in the snow,
Surprised i was with sudden heat
Which made my heart to glow;
And lifting up a fearful eye
To view what fire was near,
A pretty babe all burning bright
Did in the air appear;
Who, scorched with excessive heat,
Such floods of tears did shed,
As though his floods should quench his flames,
Which with his tears were bred:
'alas!' quoth he, 'but newly born
In fiery heats i fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts
Or feel my fire but i!
'my faultless breast the furnace is;
The fuel, wounding thorns;
Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke;
The ashes, shames and scorns;
The fuel justice layeth on,
And mercy blows the coals,
The metal in this furnace wrought
Are men's defiled souls:
For which, as now on fire i am
To work them to their good,
So will i melt into a bath,
To wash them in my blood.'
With this he vanish'd out of sight
And swiftly shrunk away,
And straight i called unto mind
That it was christmas day.