I went down to the place 
Where I knew she lay waiting 
Under the marble and the snow 
I said, Mother I'm frightened 
The thunder and the lightning 
I'll never come through this alone 
She said, I'll be with you 
My shawl wrapped around you 
My hand on your head when you go 
And the night came on 
It was very calm 
I wanted the night to go on and on 
But she said, Go back to the World 
We were fighting in Egypt 
When they signed this agreement 
That nobody else had to die 
There was this terrible sound 
And my father went down 
With a terrible wound in his side 
He said, Try to go on 
Take my books, take my gun 
Remember, my son, how they lied 
And the night comes on 
It's very calm 
I'd like to pretend that my father was wrong 
But you don't want to lie, not to the young 

We were locked in this kitchen 
I took to religion 
And I wondered how long she would stay 
I needed so much 
To have nothing to touch 
I've always been greedy that way 
But my son and my daughter 
Climbed out of the water 
Crying, Papa, you promised to play 
And they lead me away 
To the great surprise 
It's Papa, don't peek, Papa, cover your eyes 
And they hide, they hide in the World 

Now I look for her always 
I'm lost in this calling 
I'm tied to the threads of some prayer 
Saying, When will she summon me 
When will she come to me 
What must I do to prepare 
When she bends to my longing 
Like a willow, like a fountain 
She stands in the luminous air 
And the night comes on 
And it's very calm 
I lie in her arms and says, When I'm gone 
I'll be yours, yours for a song 

Now the crickets are singing 
The vesper bells ringing 
The cat's curled asleep in his chair 
I'll go down to Bill's Bar 
I can make it that far 
And I'll see if my friends are still there 
Yes, and here's to the few 
Who forgive what you do 
And the fewer who don't even care 
And the night comes on 
It's very calm 
I want to cross over, I want to go home 
But she says, Go back, go back to the World