On and on I shall…
Though the night may seem so dark
And the day so dull
Even hope seems to be hoped for
As my situation seems bereft of a solution
Still I shall see beyond my sight
And feel beyond my touch
I will hope against hope
And like the caged bird, on and on I shall sing
It may take so much effort to wear a smile on my face
And even more to rid off my fear for this race
It may be a long way to my dream place
But on this dark day I will keep on walking
For though I may not yet be there
I sure am not where I used to be
For in the midst of this black night
My stars will shine so bright that the Sun may envy
That even though the day may delay,
Like the caged bird, on and on I shall sing
Though my weary robe is weakened by the winds of pestilence,
And affliction tries my faith with darts on my conscience,
In this fight of faith, I shall not cower
In hope’s unfailing grace, shall I find power
I shall trade my robe of shame for the garb of royal knights
A sword of faith to shine through a thousand nights,
A diadem of victory for my crown of thorns
And like the caged bird, on and on I shall sing
Weep not for my present travail,
Doubt not that the ship of my destiny shall set sail,
For I am a seed of promise, a child of destiny
Watered by the word that gives life to the dead.
No tyranny of circumstance
Can hold a determined will for too long.
So I look to the heavens from thence commeth my help,
There do I see the heroes of the faith.
They bid me take my place among them,
In the halls of faith, where the brave would live forever
I may seem so coiled up in the shells of shame
And my future trampled upon by ancient histories of pain
Even my name I fear to bear,
For it tags along with it great responsibility and deep despair
But as the words of the Spirit resound
My faith is made more profound
My will is toughened, that though the night tarries, Joy shall come in the morning
So like the dust, you may beat me beneath your feet all you want
But indeed like the dust, the harder you beat the higher I shall rise.
For like the caged bird, on and on I shall sing
To all my friends, this note again I sound
Be careful how your read me, lest you misread me
For I have long been weaned from my timidity,
Now, beyond the terrors of the night and shadows of my fear
I see a day beautifully clear
For the turbulence of the sea shall no longer move me to rage
But with quietness and courage I shall still the storm
I may be quite but I shall not be timid
I may be respectful but I shall not be afraid
I may be pressured on every side but I shall not be overwhelmed
I may be content but make no mistake about it I am not yet satisfied
It may seem I have lost the battle, but brothers I shall win the war
And like the caged bird, on and on I shall sing
Hereon does my faith stand.
That he was born to die that death may be defeated
Now with him I have risen above the bleakness of the past
For though I had been in the miry clay,
Now on the solid rock I shall stay
For he has caused me to laugh on the day I mourned
Now I shall no longer walk on naked feet
But as a prince I shall ride on horses.
For this is the fine day
When I shall move beyond the rage of my cage
And high up in the sky I shall fly
For as a cage bird I shall sing and as a free bird I shall sour…on and on