The Collected Works of William Morris With Introductions by his Daughter May Morris |
 | I. |
| II. |
| III, IV, V, VI. |
 | VII. |
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| VIII. |
| XIV. |
| XVII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
| XXXIII. |
| XLIII. |
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| IX. |
| X. |
| XII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XXI. |
| XXIV. |
 | CHAPTER LVIII. HOW THE MAIDEN WARD WAS HELD IN BURGDALE.
The Collected Works of William Morris |  |
400
CHAPTER LVIII. HOW THE MAIDEN WARD WAS HELD IN BURGDALE.
[Songs extracted from the prose narrative.]
[The sun will not tarry; now changeth the light]
[The maidens.]
The sun will not tarry; now changeth the light,
Fail the colours that marry the Day to the Night.
Fail the colours that marry the Day to the Night.
Amid the sun's burning bright weapons we bore,
For this eve of our earning comes once and no more.
For this eve of our earning comes once and no more.
For to-day hath no brother in yesterday's tide,
And to-morrow no other alike it doth hide.
And to-morrow no other alike it doth hide.
This day is the token of oath and behest
That ne'er shall be broken through ill days and best.
That ne'er shall be broken through ill days and best.
Here the troth hath been given, the oath hath been done,
To the Folk that hath thriven well under the sun.
To the Folk that hath thriven well under the sun.
And the gifts of its giving our troth-day shall win
Are the Dale for our living and dear days therein.
Are the Dale for our living and dear days therein.
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O Sun, now thou wanest! yet come back and see
Amidst all that thou gainest how gainful are we.
Amidst all that thou gainest how gainful are we.
O witness of sorrow wide over the earth,
Rise up on the morrow to look on our mirth!
Rise up on the morrow to look on our mirth!
Thy blooms art thou bringing back ever for men,
And thy birds are a-singing each summer again.
And thy birds are a-singing each summer again.
But to men little-hearted what winter is worse
Than thy summers departed that bore them the curse?
Than thy summers departed that bore them the curse?
And e'en such art thou knowing where thriveth the year,
And good is all growing save thralldom and fear.
And good is all growing save thralldom and fear.
Nought such be our lovers' hearts drawing anigh,
While yet thy light hovers aloft in the sky.
While yet thy light hovers aloft in the sky.
Lo the seeker, the finder of Death in the Blade!
What lips shall be kinder on lips of mine laid?
What lips shall be kinder on lips of mine laid?
Lo he that hath driven back tribes of the South!
Sweet-breathed is thine even, but sweeter his mouth.
Sweet-breathed is thine even, but sweeter his mouth.
Come back from the sea then, O sun! come aback,
Look adown, look on me then, and ask what I lack!
Look adown, look on me then, and ask what I lack!
Come many a morrow to gaze on the Dale,
And if e'er thou seest sorrow remember its tale!
And if e'er thou seest sorrow remember its tale!
For 'twill be of a story to tell how men died
In the garnering of glory that no man may hide.
In the garnering of glory that no man may hide.
O sun sinking under! O fragrance of earth!
O heart! O the wonder whence longing has birth!
O heart! O the wonder whence longing has birth!
| CHAPTER LVIII. HOW THE MAIDEN WARD WAS HELD IN BURGDALE.
The Collected Works of William Morris | |