 | The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") |  |
THE LEGEND OF OGRECASTLE.
The Lady May went forth at morn
The greenwood round to roam—
The greenwood fair that spread for miles
Around her castled home;
And plucking flowers to deck her hair,
And singing, Lady May
Found she had strayed in forest shade
Too far from home away.
The greenwood round to roam—
The greenwood fair that spread for miles
Around her castled home;
And plucking flowers to deck her hair,
And singing, Lady May
Found she had strayed in forest shade
Too far from home away.
She turned upon her steps, when, lo!
Leapt from a hanging limb,
And stood directly in her path,
An ogre dark and grim.
Unkempt his locks of yellow hair,
His skin was like the pye's,
His fingers were like eagle-claws,
And ferret-like his eyes.
Leapt from a hanging limb,
And stood directly in her path,
An ogre dark and grim.
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His skin was like the pye's,
His fingers were like eagle-claws,
And ferret-like his eyes.
“Where are you going?” thundered he,
“And why do you wander here,
Where mine are trees, and mine are flowers,
And mine the tawny deer?
“You've trespassed on my wide domain,
And passed your father's by;
This is Amal the ogre's land,
Amal the ogre, I.”
“And why do you wander here,
Where mine are trees, and mine are flowers,
And mine the tawny deer?
“You've trespassed on my wide domain,
And passed your father's by;
This is Amal the ogre's land,
Amal the ogre, I.”
She could not scream, she could not flee,
She trembled as he spake,
But crossed herself and prayed for aid,
For the Blessed Master's sake.
At which the ogre loudly laughed,
And to the lady said:
“I am of earth, and Christian ban
Falls harmless on my head.
She trembled as he spake,
But crossed herself and prayed for aid,
For the Blessed Master's sake.
At which the ogre loudly laughed,
And to the lady said:
“I am of earth, and Christian ban
Falls harmless on my head.
“Earl Carlon is a childless man
Henceforward and for aye,
For she who was his darling child
Shall be my bride to-day.
And months shall come and months shall go,
And passing years shall be,
Ere he shall see the daughter fair
That must away with me.”
Henceforward and for aye,
For she who was his darling child
Shall be my bride to-day.
And months shall come and months shall go,
And passing years shall be,
Ere he shall see the daughter fair
That must away with me.”
Then seizing her within his arms,
He bore the maid away;
He bore her to the church's door;
She durst not say him nay.
And there the old priest made them one,
And she, Earl Carlon's pride,
Lost home and friends, and so became
Amal the ogre's bride.
He bore the maid away;
He bore her to the church's door;
She durst not say him nay.
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And she, Earl Carlon's pride,
Lost home and friends, and so became
Amal the ogre's bride.
Ten years had come and ten had gone,
And children twain were born,
When forth to hunt the tawny deer
The ogre went one morn.
And waiting there for his return,
The lady longed to gaze
Once more upon the home wherein
She dwelt in other days.
And children twain were born,
When forth to hunt the tawny deer
The ogre went one morn.
And waiting there for his return,
The lady longed to gaze
Once more upon the home wherein
She dwelt in other days.
She took her son and daughter through
The pathway in the wood,
And hurried on till they before
Earl Carlon's castle stood.
The tears they gathered in her eyes
The olden pile to see.
“My home was there,” she murmured low;
“My father—where is he?”
The pathway in the wood,
And hurried on till they before
Earl Carlon's castle stood.
The tears they gathered in her eyes
The olden pile to see.
“My home was there,” she murmured low;
“My father—where is he?”
With knights around rode up the Earl,
And stopped his steed, and said:
“This woman is my daughter May,
Whom I have mourned as dead.
Fair welcome back! This hour repays
For years of grief and pain.
But be you maid, or be you wife?
And whose these children twain?”
And stopped his steed, and said:
“This woman is my daughter May,
Whom I have mourned as dead.
Fair welcome back! This hour repays
For years of grief and pain.
But be you maid, or be you wife?
And whose these children twain?”
“I've lived a wife ten years or more,
Five miles beyond these towers;
Amal the ogre is my lord;
These children twain are ours.
A loving husband has he been,
And ever kind to me,
And honor's self in all his deeds,
An ogre though he be.”
Five miles beyond these towers;
Amal the ogre is my lord;
These children twain are ours.
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And ever kind to me,
And honor's self in all his deeds,
An ogre though he be.”
And then Amal came riding up,
To seek his dear ones three.
Earl Carlon's brow grew black with wrath,
And “Seize the wretch!” said he.
And ere Amal could draw his sword,
To serve him in his need,
A score of burly men-at-arms
Had dragged him from his steed.
To seek his dear ones three.
Earl Carlon's brow grew black with wrath,
And “Seize the wretch!” said he.
And ere Amal could draw his sword,
To serve him in his need,
A score of burly men-at-arms
Had dragged him from his steed.
“Unhappy woman,” cried the Earl,
“Learn, to thy deep despair,
The lord thou lovest is the one
Who slew thy cousin's heir.
When died our kinsman Ethelred,
He slew his only son,
And kept by force of gramarye
The lands the murder won.
“Learn, to thy deep despair,
The lord thou lovest is the one
Who slew thy cousin's heir.
When died our kinsman Ethelred,
He slew his only son,
And kept by force of gramarye
The lands the murder won.
“He closed your eyes by wicked arts,
By magic spells and dread,
Or with an ogre foul as he
You never could have wed.
And you and these shall dwell at home,
My children all to be;
But for Amal—I'll hang him high
Upon the gallows-tree.”
By magic spells and dread,
Or with an ogre foul as he
You never could have wed.
And you and these shall dwell at home,
My children all to be;
But for Amal—I'll hang him high
Upon the gallows-tree.”
She bent her low, the Lady May,
While tears fell o'er her face—
She bent her low, and on her knee
Implored her father's grace.
“For know the truth,” she sobbing said,
“An ogre though he be,
The man whom you to death would doom
Is all the world to me.”
While tears fell o'er her face—
She bent her low, and on her knee
Implored her father's grace.
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“An ogre though he be,
The man whom you to death would doom
Is all the world to me.”
“Rise up, my daughter,” cried the Earl;
“Your prayers are all in vain;
I've sworn before I rest to-night
The ogre shall be slain.
Were I forsworn it were disgrace
To one of lineage high:
From hence the ogre's form shall pass,
Or I shall surely die.”
“Your prayers are all in vain;
I've sworn before I rest to-night
The ogre shall be slain.
Were I forsworn it were disgrace
To one of lineage high:
From hence the ogre's form shall pass,
Or I shall surely die.”
She rose, and snatched a sword from one
Of those who stood around,
And sprang to where the ogre stood,
And cut the bands that bound.
“Draw forth your sword, my lord,” she cried;
“We'll fight it out amain;
They shall not grace the gallows-tree
Till both of us be slain.”
Of those who stood around,
And sprang to where the ogre stood,
And cut the bands that bound.
“Draw forth your sword, my lord,” she cried;
“We'll fight it out amain;
They shall not grace the gallows-tree
Till both of us be slain.”
When, lo! upon her words there came
A change of form and face;
The loathly ogre grew to be
A knight of courtly grace,
A stalwart knight of stately mien—
A hideous thing no more.
“And who art thou,” Earl Carlon cried,
“Who ogre was before?”
A change of form and face;
The loathly ogre grew to be
A knight of courtly grace,
A stalwart knight of stately mien—
A hideous thing no more.
“And who art thou,” Earl Carlon cried,
“Who ogre was before?”
“I am thy cousin's son; by me
Amal the ogre fell;
But, dying, through his gramarye
Upon me laid a spell,
That I should take his name and shape,
And in his stead should be,
Until some woman pure and fair
Should risk her life for me.
Amal the ogre fell;
But, dying, through his gramarye
Upon me laid a spell,
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And in his stead should be,
Until some woman pure and fair
Should risk her life for me.
“The wife I gained without thy will
From thrall her lord hath won;
To-day you have your daughter back,
And with her take a son.”
“In faith, I shall,” Earl Carlon said;
“And pleasant 'tis, I wis,
When from an ogre's form there springs
A son as fair as this!”
From thrall her lord hath won;
To-day you have your daughter back,
And with her take a son.”
“In faith, I shall,” Earl Carlon said;
“And pleasant 'tis, I wis,
When from an ogre's form there springs
A son as fair as this!”
Earl Carlon lies in cloistered earth;
The rest have passed away;
The castle where they lived and died
Is now in ruins grey.
But where the ogre bore his bride
Four stately towers are found,
And these are Ogrecastle styled
By all who dwell around.
The rest have passed away;
The castle where they lived and died
Is now in ruins grey.
But where the ogre bore his bride
Four stately towers are found,
And these are Ogrecastle styled
By all who dwell around.
| The select poems of Dr. Thomas Dunn English (exclusive of the "Battle lyrics") | |