The prince rode up to the palace gates And his eyes with tears are dim, For he thinks of the beggar maiden sweet Who never may wed with him, For home is where the heart is, In dwelling great or small, And there's many a splendid palace That's never a home at all.
The yeoman comes to his little cot With a song when day is done, For his dearie is standing in the door And his children to meet him run, For home is where the heart is, In dwelling great or small, And there's many a stately mansion That's never a home at all.
Could I but live with my own sweetheart In a hut with sanded floor, I'd be richer far than a loveless man With fame and a golden store. For home is where the heart is. In dwelling great or small, And a cottage lighted by lovelight Is the dearest home of all.
[A version of this appears in The Speaker, a quarterly magazine from 1910-11.]