The Skater’s Song” is a cheery evocation of skating, which was becoming popular in the United States. The poem may be by Francis C. Woodworth, editor of Woodworth’s Youth’s Cabinet, who wrote other songs published in the magazine.


http://www.merrycoz.org/cabinet/SKATERS.xhtml
“The Skater’s Song” (from Woodworth’s Youth’s Cabinet, January 1849, p. 8)
TO BE SAID OR SUNG, WITH A NIMBLE TONGUE.

Here we go,

Steady and slow,

Plodding awhile behind;

Faster we hie,

Till away we fly,

Swift as the northern wind.

Blithe and gay,

We speed our way,

Over the ice-bound river;

From side to side,

Like a bird we glide,

Or a dart from an Indian’s quiver.

Look out! look out

Mind what you’re about,

And skilfully guide your feet;

Take care! take care!

Or ere you’re aware,

Your head will be cracking the sleet.

There, down he goes—

I pity his woes,

For he falls like a bar of lead;

Now he can tell,

I ween, pretty well,

Whether ice is as hard as his head.

Ha! ha! you see

He’s as merry as we

And he’s up and off again.

Now for a race,

With a quicker pace,

Over the glassy plain.

Blithe and gay,

We speed our way,

Over the ice-bound river;

From side to side,

Like a bird we glide,

Or a dart from an Indian’s quiver.

Away we fly

And the wind outvie,

And our spirits keep time with the flight;

Thus the day

Glides away,

And sweetly blends with night.

Thanks we’ll give,

While we live,

That our hearts are free from sorrow;

And though we play

With such glee to-day,

We’ll study the better to-morrow.

From side to side,

Like a bird we glide,

Till the twilight time is o’er;

And when at last,

Our sport is past,

We’ll glide like a bird to the shore.

And now we go

Over the snow,

To our happy homes away,

Tripping along,

With mirth and song,

Till we come—to the end of our lay.

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