She thought that I was a little child,
And yet a baby in her arms,
She thought I was a little girl,
Enjoying in her nestling warmth.
She cuddled me,
And fondled me,
And called me, “My little girl.”
She lullabied me,
She pampered me,
And called me, “My foolish child.”
She didn’t know,
She wouldn’t know,
Her little girl,
Is now not a child,
Who hid her face,
In her embrace,
Happily, without fear.
The little child who played in her arms,
Who held her fingers and walked,
Now walks the world all alone,
And without fear.
She waits for me,
At the door,
And fears when I am late;
Wonders how her little girl
Has gone out, and will come back late!
