William Lisle Bowles: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Dove sent from the Ark

William Lisle Bowles

“The Dove sent from the Ark” as printed in A First Series of Hymns and Songs (1853).

William Lisle Bowles: Collected Lyrics Text 2 1853 · historical text
Public domainHymnSacred song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from A First Series of Hymns and Songs, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Go, beautiful and gentle dove,

And greet the morning ray;

For lo, the sun shines bright above,

The floods are past away.

No longer drooping here confin'd,

In this cold prison dwell;

Go free to sunshine and to wind,

Go forth, and fare thee well.

Verse 2

Go, beautiful and gentle dove,

Thy welcome sad will be.

When thou shalt hear no voice of love

In murmurs from the tree.

Yet freedom, freedom shalt thou find

From this cold prison cell;

Go, then, to sunshine and to wind,

Go forth, and fare thee well.

Credits

Written by William Lisle Bowles

Words by William Lisle Bowles. Historical text published in A First Series of Hymns and Songs (1853); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

A First Series of Hymns and Songs (1853), “The Dove sent from the Ark”

Every text in this 1853 collection is by Henry Formby (1816-1884), who died more than 140 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-26. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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