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The Collected Works of William Morris

With Introductions by his Daughter May Morris

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[POEM BY THE WAY.]

[_]

This ballad was written in January 1896.

SHE
The blossom's white upon the thorn,
The lily's on the lea,
The beaded dew is bright tomorn;
Come forth and o'er to me.
And when thou farest from the ford
My hand thine hand shall take;
For this young day about my board
Men sing the feast awake.
And I am lady of the land,
My hall is wide and side,
And therein would I have thee stand
Midst the blooming of my pride.
Since oft a-days forth wandered we
O'er mead and dale and down,
Till on the edges of the sea
Aloof we saw the town.
Since oft a-days we turned and went
And left the wind-worn shore
And there below the sheep-fed bent
Stood by the little door.
'Twas oft from glooming of the lea
Into the house we turned,
And I by thee, and thou by me
Watched how the oak-log burned.
Wherefore while yet the day is young,
And the feast awake with morn,

xxxvj

Come o'er and hear my praises sung
And the day when I was born.

HE
Tomorn I will not cross the ford
And take thee by thine hand,
And see the feast upon thy board
And midst the prideful stand.
Gem-strewn thine hands are that of old
All naked-fair I knew;
And covered are thy feet with gold,
That brush the beaded dew.
And though thine hall be wide and side,
No room is there for me;
For there be men of mickle pride
Betwixt thy face and me.
An earl upon thy right hand is,
A baron takes thy sleeve,
A belted knight thine hand doth kiss,
And asketh little leave.
I will depart and take my way
O'er mead and down and dale,
And come thereto where on a day
We saw the upland fail.
Then will I get me to the town
And ship me o'er the main,
And clean forget both dale and down
And the ways we went, we twain.
The whiles thy maidens round thee throng
To lay thee soft abed,
And thou lay'st down my loss and wrong
On the pillows of thine head.
One foot upon the deck shall be
One hand upon the rope,
And the Hale and How on the weltering sea
And one farewell to hope.