 | The poetical works of Edmund Clarence Stedman |  |
168
WILD WINDS WHISTLE.
I.
Sir ULRIC a Southern dame has wed;
Wild winds whistle and snow is come;
He has brought her home to his bower and bed.
Hither and thither the birds fly home.
Wild winds whistle and snow is come;
He has brought her home to his bower and bed.
Hither and thither the birds fly home.
Her hair is darker than thick of night;
Wild winds whistle, &c.
Her hands are fair, and her step is light.
Hither and thither, &c.
Wild winds whistle, &c.
Her hands are fair, and her step is light.
Hither and thither, &c.
From out his castel in the North
Sir Ulric to hunt rode lightly forth.
Sir Ulric to hunt rode lightly forth.
Three things he left her for good or ill,—
A bonny bird that should sing at will,
A bonny bird that should sing at will,
With carol sweeter than silver bell,
Day and night in the old castel;
Day and night in the old castel;
A lithe little page to gather flowers;
And a crystal dial to mark the hours.
And a crystal dial to mark the hours.
2.
Lady Margaret watched Sir Ulric speed
Away to the chase on his faithful steed.
Away to the chase on his faithful steed.
From morning till night, the first day long,
She sat and listened the bonny bird's song.
She sat and listened the bonny bird's song.
169
The second day long, with fingers fair,
She curled and combed her page's hair.
She curled and combed her page's hair.
The third day's sun rose up on high;
By the dial she was seated nigh:
By the dial she was seated nigh:
She loathed the bird and the page's face,
And counted the shadow's creeping pace.
And counted the shadow's creeping pace.
3.
The strange knight drew his bridle-rein;
He looked at the sky and he looked at the plain.
He looked at the sky and he looked at the plain.
“O lady!” he said, “'t was a sin and shame
To leave for the chase so fair a dame.
To leave for the chase so fair a dame.
“O lady!” he said, “we two will flee
To the blithesome land of Italie;
To the blithesome land of Italie;
“There the orange grows, and the fruitful vine,
And a bower of myrtle shall be thine.”
And a bower of myrtle shall be thine.”
He has taken her hand and kissed her mouth:
Now Ho! sing Ho! for the sunny South.
Now Ho! sing Ho! for the sunny South.
He has kissed her mouth and clasped her waist:
Now, good gray steed, make haste, make haste!
Now, good gray steed, make haste, make haste!
4.
Sir Ulric back from the chase has come,
And sounds the horn at his castel-home.
And sounds the horn at his castel-home.
Or ever he drew his bridle-rein,
He saw the dial split in twain;
He saw the dial split in twain;
170
The bonny blithe bird was stark and dead,
And the lithe little page hung down his head.
And the lithe little page hung down his head.
The lithe little page hung down his head;
Wild winds whistle and snow is come;
“O where, Sir Page, has my lady fled?”
Hither and thither the birds fly home.
Wild winds whistle and snow is come;
“O where, Sir Page, has my lady fled?”
Hither and thither the birds fly home.
| The poetical works of Edmund Clarence Stedman | |