Ranolf and Amohia A dream of two lives. By Alfred Domett. New edition, revised |
 |
|
| I. |
 | 1. |
| 2. |
| 1. |
| 2. |
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. | VI. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 3. |
| II. |
 | Ranolf and Amohia |  |
VI.
But soon the light Canoe they saw
Come bounding o'er the breaking wave;
There sate, with looks of mingled awe
And wild delight, the Maiden brave!
With rapid change from side to side
A native youth the paddle plied—
A stranger, and his hearty will
Seemed matched with equal strength and skill.
Attentive to his least command
The Maiden grasped with one firm hand
The sheet that held the shortened sail
That strained and tugged beneath the gale,
And with the other strove to bale
Fast as she could the water, still
Threatening the little bark to fill.
Begemmed with spray her dark hair streamed;
Her beauteous cheek no paler seemed
Though rain and spray-drops o'er it teemed,
And all around the lightnings gleamed:
For neither lightning, rain nor spray
Could turn her from her task away.
Come bounding o'er the breaking wave;
There sate, with looks of mingled awe
And wild delight, the Maiden brave!
With rapid change from side to side
A native youth the paddle plied—
A stranger, and his hearty will
Seemed matched with equal strength and skill.
144
The Maiden grasped with one firm hand
The sheet that held the shortened sail
That strained and tugged beneath the gale,
And with the other strove to bale
Fast as she could the water, still
Threatening the little bark to fill.
Begemmed with spray her dark hair streamed;
Her beauteous cheek no paler seemed
Though rain and spray-drops o'er it teemed,
And all around the lightnings gleamed:
For neither lightning, rain nor spray
Could turn her from her task away.
Still stood the sail and bending mast,
And they the beach were nearing fast.
Then through the waters' boiling strife
The clansmen rushed at risk of life;
A struggling, swimming, diving crowd,
They seized with acclamations loud
The gunwale of the light canoe;
On either side, a dancing row
Of rough black heads now rising through
Now sunk beneath the foamy snow,
With great triumphant shouts they bore
Canoe and Maiden to the shore.
And they the beach were nearing fast.
Then through the waters' boiling strife
The clansmen rushed at risk of life;
A struggling, swimming, diving crowd,
They seized with acclamations loud
The gunwale of the light canoe;
On either side, a dancing row
Of rough black heads now rising through
Now sunk beneath the foamy snow,
With great triumphant shouts they bore
Canoe and Maiden to the shore.
| Ranolf and Amohia | |