 | The poems of Madison Cawein |  |
355
THE BALLAD OF LOW-LIE-DOWN
John-a-dreams and Harum-Scarum
Came a-riding into town:
At the Sign o' the Jug-and-Jorum
There they met with Low-lie-down.
Came a-riding into town:
At the Sign o' the Jug-and-Jorum
There they met with Low-lie-down.
Brave in shoes of Romany leather,
Bodice blue and gipsy gown,
And a cap of fur and feather,
In the inn sat Low-lie-down.
Bodice blue and gipsy gown,
And a cap of fur and feather,
In the inn sat Low-lie-down.
Harum-Scarum kissed her lightly,
Smiled into her eyes of brown,
Clasped her waist and held her tightly,
Laughing, “Lovely Low-lie-down!”
Smiled into her eyes of brown,
Clasped her waist and held her tightly,
Laughing, “Lovely Low-lie-down!”
Then with many an oath and swagger,
As a man of great renown,
On the board he clapped his dagger,
Called for sack and sat him down.
As a man of great renown,
On the board he clapped his dagger,
Called for sack and sat him down.
356
So a while they laughed together;
Then he rose and with a frown
Sighed, “While still 'tis pleasant weather,
I must leave thee, Low-lie-down.”
Then he rose and with a frown
Sighed, “While still 'tis pleasant weather,
I must leave thee, Low-lie-down.”
So away rode Harum-Scarum,
With a song rode out of town;
At the Sign o' the Jug-and-Jorum
Weeping lingered Low-lie-down.
With a song rode out of town;
At the Sign o' the Jug-and-Jorum
Weeping lingered Low-lie-down.
Then this John-a-dreams, in tatters,
In his pocket ne'er a crown,
Touched her saying, “Wench, what matters!
Dry your eyes and, come, sit down.
In his pocket ne'er a crown,
Touched her saying, “Wench, what matters!
Dry your eyes and, come, sit down.
“Here 's my hand: we'll roam together,
Far away from thorp and town.
Here 's my heart,—for any weather,—
And my dreams, too, Low-lie-down.
Far away from thorp and town.
Here 's my heart,—for any weather,—
And my dreams, too, Low-lie-down.
“Some men call me dreamer, poet:
Some men call me fool and clown—
What I am but you shall know it,
Only you, sweet Low-lie-down.”
Some men call me fool and clown—
What I am but you shall know it,
Only you, sweet Low-lie-down.”
For a little while she pondered:
Smiled: then said, “Let care go drown!”
Rose and kissed him. . . . Forth they wandered,
John-a-dreams and Low-lie-down.
Smiled: then said, “Let care go drown!”
Rose and kissed him. . . . Forth they wandered,
John-a-dreams and Low-lie-down.
| The poems of Madison Cawein | |