i ve known rivers i ve known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins my soul has grown deep like the rivers i bathed in the euphrates when dawns were young i built my hut near the congo and it lulled me to sleep i looked upon the nile and raised the pyramids above it i heard the singing of the mississippi when abe lincoln went down to new orleans and i ve seen its muddy bosom turn all golden in the sunset i ve known rivers ancient dusky rivers my soul has grown deep like the rivers 6