 | The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") |  |
THE WHITE DOE.
Once on a time, when fairies were,
Stood by the Galway shore,
Part in the sea, a cold, grey rock,
That towered the country o'er.
Its sides were like a castle wall,
Seamed like an old man's face;
And inward stretched the barren sand,
A mile beyond the place.
Stood by the Galway shore,
Part in the sea, a cold, grey rock,
That towered the country o'er.
Its sides were like a castle wall,
Seamed like an old man's face;
And inward stretched the barren sand,
A mile beyond the place.
One fertile spot there Dermid held—
A peasant stout and young,
With eye of hawk and raven hair,
Strong limbs and silver tongue—
An acre only held at rent,
And cabin low and white;
And made his way by constant toil
From early morn till night.
A peasant stout and young,
With eye of hawk and raven hair,
Strong limbs and silver tongue—
An acre only held at rent,
And cabin low and white;
And made his way by constant toil
From early morn till night.
90
One morn he rose at break of day,
And, sharpened spade in hand,
Went forth, and whistled as he went,
To dig and delve his land.
And looking east, and looking west,
Around, above, below,
He saw upon the grey rock's crest,
Standing, a milk-white doe.
And, sharpened spade in hand,
Went forth, and whistled as he went,
To dig and delve his land.
And looking east, and looking west,
Around, above, below,
He saw upon the grey rock's crest,
Standing, a milk-white doe.
There were no deer for miles around,
And ne'er had such been seen,
For deer seek not the sea-shore sand,
But lurk in covert green.
And Dermid gazed upon the sight
With awe no words can tell,
When the doe stretched forth to look at him,
And lost its poise and fell.
And ne'er had such been seen,
For deer seek not the sea-shore sand,
But lurk in covert green.
And Dermid gazed upon the sight
With awe no words can tell,
When the doe stretched forth to look at him,
And lost its poise and fell.
The peasant dropped his spade and ran,
And pity came to him,
When he saw the deer lie moaning there,
With a bleeding, broken limb.
He set the bone, and bound it close,
And spoke in tender way,
And water brought and tufts of grass
Where the creature suffering lay.
And pity came to him,
When he saw the deer lie moaning there,
With a bleeding, broken limb.
He set the bone, and bound it close,
And spoke in tender way,
And water brought and tufts of grass
Where the creature suffering lay.
The white doe licked his kindly hand,
And tears ran down each cheek,
And looked from out its large, round eyes
The thanks it could not speak.
And Dermid said—“I have no wife,
No child is born to me;
This innocent brute in lieu of both,
Companion here shall be.”
And tears ran down each cheek,
And looked from out its large, round eyes
The thanks it could not speak.
And Dermid said—“I have no wife,
No child is born to me;
This innocent brute in lieu of both,
Companion here shall be.”
91
A month passed on. One morning came,
And, rising at the dawn,
Went Dermid out to feed the doe,
And found the doe had gone.
But there a fair-haired lady stood,
Clad in a robe of white,
A short wand in her lily hand,
Tipped with a jewel bright.
And, rising at the dawn,
Went Dermid out to feed the doe,
And found the doe had gone.
But there a fair-haired lady stood,
Clad in a robe of white,
A short wand in her lily hand,
Tipped with a jewel bright.
“I was the doe,” the lady said,
“Doomed in that shape to be,
Till a human heart in my distress
Should pity take on me.
Name freely; I can grant whate'er
You need the most in life.”
Said Dermid bluntly then, “I need
You, darling, for a wife.”
“Doomed in that shape to be,
Till a human heart in my distress
Should pity take on me.
Name freely; I can grant whate'er
You need the most in life.”
Said Dermid bluntly then, “I need
You, darling, for a wife.”
Soon were they wedded, and from thence
Fortune on Dermid rained;
New land was his, and flocks and herds,
And golden store he gained.
Short months and years flew by, and each
Seemed fleeter than the last,
Until, with five boys round the hearth,
Ten happy years had passed.
Fortune on Dermid rained;
New land was his, and flocks and herds,
And golden store he gained.
Short months and years flew by, and each
Seemed fleeter than the last,
Until, with five boys round the hearth,
Ten happy years had passed.
Uprose the fairy wife at dawn,
To Dermid thus spoke she:
“At noon I seek my former home,
And you must go with me.
But, oh! whate'er you see or hear,
What others say or do,
Keep silence; utter not a word;
Or I am lost to you.”
To Dermid thus spoke she:
“At noon I seek my former home,
And you must go with me.
But, oh! whate'er you see or hear,
What others say or do,
Keep silence; utter not a word;
Or I am lost to you.”
92
Then forth she went, with wand in hand,
And Dermid followed fast,
Till garden-gate and hawthorn hedge
And meadow-field were passed.
And o'er the sand the way she led
To where the rock arose,
And on its grey and frowning side
She struck three gentle blows.
And Dermid followed fast,
Till garden-gate and hawthorn hedge
And meadow-field were passed.
And o'er the sand the way she led
To where the rock arose,
And on its grey and frowning side
She struck three gentle blows.
Clang! came a sound, as of a bell;
Parted the rock before;
And into its recesses deep
They passed as through a door;
Through gloomy passage, downward, then,
They made their darksome way,
Until they came upon a place
As bright and clear as day.
Parted the rock before;
And into its recesses deep
They passed as through a door;
Through gloomy passage, downward, then,
They made their darksome way,
Until they came upon a place
As bright and clear as day.
There, in a palace tall and fair,
Entered the silent two;
And Dermid, at the sight he saw,
Felt wonder thrill him through;
For on a throne of beaten gold,
Within a glittering ring,
A crown of diamonds on his brow,
There sat the fairy king.
Entered the silent two;
And Dermid, at the sight he saw,
Felt wonder thrill him through;
For on a throne of beaten gold,
Within a glittering ring,
A crown of diamonds on his brow,
There sat the fairy king.
“Welcome again, our daughter dear;
But who is this you bring?
What mortal boor dare enter here
Unbidden?” cried the king.
“My husband, sire,” the lady said,
“And dearer far to me
Than all the rank and all the state
I left for him could be.”
But who is this you bring?
What mortal boor dare enter here
Unbidden?” cried the king.
“My husband, sire,” the lady said,
“And dearer far to me
Than all the rank and all the state
I left for him could be.”
93
The fairy king arose in wrath—
“Such words to me!” he cried;
“No mortal wight of base degree
Shall keep a fairy bride.
He may retire unharmed; but thou
Shalt lie in dungeon chains.”
But Dermid, springing forward, cried—
“Not while my strength remains!”
“Such words to me!” he cried;
“No mortal wight of base degree
Shall keep a fairy bride.
He may retire unharmed; but thou
Shalt lie in dungeon chains.”
But Dermid, springing forward, cried—
“Not while my strength remains!”
A look of longing and despair
O'erspread the lady's face;
Deep darkness fell, and unseen hands
Hurled Dermid from the place.
The old grey rock was closed again;
The door was lost fore'er;
No more to Dermid's heart or home
Came back that lady fair.
O'erspread the lady's face;
Deep darkness fell, and unseen hands
Hurled Dermid from the place.
The old grey rock was closed again;
The door was lost fore'er;
No more to Dermid's heart or home
Came back that lady fair.
| The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") | |