From the leafy maple ridges,
From the thickets of the cedar,
From the alders by the river,
From the bending willow branches,
From the hollows and the hillsides,
Through the lone Canadian forest,
Comes the melancholy music,
Oft repeated, never changing—
"All—is—vanity—vanity—vanity."
Where the farmer ploughs his furrow,
Sowing seed with hope of harvest,
In the orchards, white with blossom,
In the early fields of clover,
Comes the little brown-clad singer,
Flitting in and out of bushes,
Hiding well behind the fences,
Piping forth his song of sadness,
"Poor—hu—manity—manity—manity."