Poems By William Bell Scott. Ballads, Studies from Nature, Sonnets, etc. Illustrated by Seventeen Etchings by the Author and L. Alma Tadema |
 |
|
| I. | I |
| II. |
| III. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
| XII. |
| XIII. |
| XIV. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
| IV. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| IX. |
| X. |
| XI. |
|
|
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
| III. |
|
|
| I. |
| II. |
|
|
|
 | Poems |  |
I
Childe Eric from the Middle-sea
Rides on his homeward way,
To keep his tryste with fair Kriemhild,
His tryste of an early day.
Rides on his homeward way,
To keep his tryste with fair Kriemhild,
His tryste of an early day.
8
Childe Eric rides by the swift running beck,
Its sound fills all the air;
It is warm in the midsummer weather;
It is noon, he will rest him there.
Its sound fills all the air;
It is warm in the midsummer weather;
It is noon, he will rest him there.
He throws the rein of his good roan steed
On the bough of a sycamore,
And, dropping from brae to bank, he gains
The linn-pool's pebbly shore.
On the bough of a sycamore,
And, dropping from brae to bank, he gains
The linn-pool's pebbly shore.
He had travelled far from morn till noon,
The fresh stream danced and sang,
So to cast his surcoat and hose of mail
He did not question lang.
The fresh stream danced and sang,
So to cast his surcoat and hose of mail
He did not question lang.
Then caroll'd he loud as the water,
So bright, so fresh, so full;
His shapely waist and fair broad chest
Flashed in the quivering pool.
So bright, so fresh, so full;
His shapely waist and fair broad chest
Flashed in the quivering pool.
But scarcely had he stept three steps,
He heard a low shrill call,
And when he stept again there came
A laugh from the waterfall.
He heard a low shrill call,
And when he stept again there came
A laugh from the waterfall.
And he saw within the rainbow mist,
Within the shimmering vail,
A naked woman watching him,
Breathless and rosy-pale.
Within the shimmering vail,
A naked woman watching him,
Breathless and rosy-pale.
9
Two heavy sheaves of golden hair
About her round loins met,
Yet, for all the waters falling,
These thick locks were not wet.
About her round loins met,
Yet, for all the waters falling,
These thick locks were not wet.
Her great kind eyes, her wild sweet eyes,
They smiled and loved him so,
He shrank back in bewilderment,
Yet had no wish to go.
They smiled and loved him so,
He shrank back in bewilderment,
Yet had no wish to go.
But he felt sure that bonnie brown quean
Was none of Eve's true kin:
Naked and unabashed, straight and frank,
Harboured within the linn.
Was none of Eve's true kin:
Naked and unabashed, straight and frank,
Harboured within the linn.
Silenced, with wandering wits he stood,
His fair limbs but half hid,
Then stretched his hand from rock to rock,
And backward sloped and slid.
His fair limbs but half hid,
Then stretched his hand from rock to rock,
And backward sloped and slid.
But suddenly to the waist he sank,
And forward sprang the maid,
Round either side his tingling waist
Her arms a girdle made.
And forward sprang the maid,
Round either side his tingling waist
Her arms a girdle made.
Then breast to breast in the cool water
Was warmly, blindly pressed,
And heart to heart, as love is born,—
Her great clear eyes confessed
Was warmly, blindly pressed,
And heart to heart, as love is born,—
Her great clear eyes confessed
10
An innocence and a childish joy,
And hope's most flattering song,
That he, as was his wont with maids,
Was reassured and strong.
And hope's most flattering song,
That he, as was his wont with maids,
Was reassured and strong.
At once he kissed her eager mouth—
It was a quivering, wildering kiss—
Tighter she strained him in her arms,
And fixed devouring lips on his.
It was a quivering, wildering kiss—
Tighter she strained him in her arms,
And fixed devouring lips on his.
And owned that she had waited long
For him, Childe Eric, him alone;
But he must swear her troth, and be,
As Holy Writ says, bone of bone.
For him, Childe Eric, him alone;
But he must swear her troth, and be,
As Holy Writ says, bone of bone.
As she had heard the priest declare,
When she hid by the chapel door,
And he told them all of Adam and Eve—
The old priest of Felsenore.
When she hid by the chapel door,
And he told them all of Adam and Eve—
The old priest of Felsenore.
‘I'll bring you luck, you'll bring me grace,
And we'll be marrows, you and me;
A wife and a mother, my long hair coiffed,
Clad in long-lawn and cramoisie.’
And we'll be marrows, you and me;
A wife and a mother, my long hair coiffed,
Clad in long-lawn and cramoisie.’
Yes, yes, his troth—as he had done
In eastern lands before,
To dark eyes and brown jewelled ears—
He pledged it o'er and o'er.
In eastern lands before,
To dark eyes and brown jewelled ears—
He pledged it o'er and o'er.
11
‘Oh, then baptise me, Childe Delight!
Madonna Mary, christen me!’—
The water now wet her sheaves of hair,
And he laughed at her pietiè.
Madonna Mary, christen me!’—
The water now wet her sheaves of hair,
And he laughed at her pietiè.
For he trusted in magic, and had come
Through Rome, that evil vale,
Where with the false pope Archimed
He had quaffed from the Holy Graal.
Through Rome, that evil vale,
Where with the false pope Archimed
He had quaffed from the Holy Graal.
He laughed—but is not that his hound's
Long howl above the brae?
And is not that his good roan steed—
What maketh it stamp and neigh?
Long howl above the brae?
And is not that his good roan steed—
What maketh it stamp and neigh?
Oh, she was lissom and fond and strong,
Guileless and wild and free;
Nor had she even a thought uncouth
Lying under the rowan tree.
Guileless and wild and free;
Nor had she even a thought uncouth
Lying under the rowan tree.
He was Eric the tall, from Mickle-garth,
Her husband and paramour;
And she was a wife now, body and soul,
So thoughtful and demure.
Her husband and paramour;
And she was a wife now, body and soul,
So thoughtful and demure.
The manyfold kisses, and new sweet speech,
That four lips feel like fire;
The thirsting heart and the hungry eyes,
Why must they ever tire?
That four lips feel like fire;
The thirsting heart and the hungry eyes,
Why must they ever tire?
12
But all things else, all fair things else,
The sun and his fruits also,
The birds and leaves, the flowers and sheaves,
They change, and they may go.
The sun and his fruits also,
The birds and leaves, the flowers and sheaves,
They change, and they may go.
Into that warm nest, filled with song
By the lark and the murmuring linn,
Nought living came; but the pensive eye
Of a white doe once looked in.
By the lark and the murmuring linn,
Nought living came; but the pensive eye
Of a white doe once looked in.
They slept, I think, till all at once
He rose with a start and stare,
Like a man who knew not where he was,
Nor how he had come there,
And climbed the bank and found his steed
Had cropped all round it bare.
He rose with a start and stare,
Like a man who knew not where he was,
Nor how he had come there,
And climbed the bank and found his steed
Had cropped all round it bare.
Sadly it turned its proud arched neck,
And tried to lick his hand,
So he mounted in haste, and gallop'd away
To the lady Kriemhild's land.
And tried to lick his hand,
So he mounted in haste, and gallop'd away
To the lady Kriemhild's land.
But he had sworn he would return,
Return to the May, had he,
With a ring, and a necklace, and girdle-gold,
And long-lawn and cramoisie.
Return to the May, had he,
With a ring, and a necklace, and girdle-gold,
And long-lawn and cramoisie.
| Poems | |