Page:A Treasury of South African Poetry.djvu/245

 THE DIGGER'S SONG. , mates, the veldt is brown and bare, And drought is on the land; But beneath lie the glittering veins of gold, Like the cords in this broad brown hand. Then dig for the glittering gold! Dig for the wealth untold! Dig with a fire that can never tire, Down, down to the glittering gold.

Oh, mates, we left some living friends Away across the sea; But my sweetheart here, in the brown earth's breast, Is dearer far to me. Then hurrah for the glittering gold! Hurrah for the wealth untold! We'll win it, we'll spend it, we'll drink it, we'll lend it, We'll live for the glittering gold.

My sweetheart's hair is yellow, bright As the sun in yonder sky; But shy my sweetheart is, and dark The place where she does lie. Then drink to the glittering gold! Drink to the wealth untold! Drink deep and long, with laughter and song, Drink, drink to the glittering gold!