{
 "id": "sarah-louisa-forten-purvis/the-slave-girls-farewell",
 "title": "The Slave Girl’s Farewell",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Sarah Louisa Forten Purvis",
 "poet_slug": "sarah-louisa-forten-purvis",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Poetry",
 "book_slug": null,
 "book_kind": "compilation",
 "sequence": null,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1835,
  "venue": "The Liberator 5.26 (Boston, 27 June 1835)",
  "note": null,
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_liberator_1835-06-27_5_26"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/sarah-louisa-forten-purvis_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/liberator1831garr",
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_liberator_1832-06-30_2_26",
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_liberator_1832-07-07_2_27",
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_liberator_1833-05-25_3_21",
   "https://archive.org/details/sn84031524_1833080301",
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_liberator_1833-12-21_3_51",
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_liberator_1834-01-04_4_1",
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_liberator_1834-01-18_4_3",
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_liberator_1834-02-01_4_5",
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_liberator_1835-06-27_5_26",
   "https://archive.org/details/sim_cincinnati-weekly-herald-and-philanthropist_1836-03-11_1_11"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 32,
  "n_stanzas": 8,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 41,
  "max_indent": 0
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Mother, I leave thee⁠—thou hast been,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Through long, long years of pain,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The only hope my fond heart knew;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or e’er shall know again.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The sails are set⁠—my master waits",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To bear me far from thee;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "I linger⁠—can I give thee up,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And cross the fearful sea?",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Oh, let me gaze! how bright it seems,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As busy memory flies,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To view those scenes of other days,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Beneath those bright blue skies.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The little hut where I have played",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In childhood’s fearless hours⁠—",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The murmuring stream⁠—the mossy bank,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Where I have gathered flowers.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "I knew not then I was a slave,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or that another’s will,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Save thine, could bend my spirit’s pride;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or bid my lips be still.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Who now will soothe me at my toil,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or bathe my weary brow?",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Or shield me when the heavy lash",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Is raised to give the blow?",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Thy fond arms press me⁠—and I feel",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Thy tears upon my cheek;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Tears are the only language now,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "A mother’s love can speak.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Think of me, mother, as I bend",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "My way across the sea;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And midst thy tears, a blessing waft,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To her who prays for thee.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ]
 ]
}