 | [Poems by Howells in] Poems of two friends |  |
102
THE SHEPHERD.
The comely shepherd loitered by
The castle of the king;
The princess from the turrets gazed
With love's sweet sorrowing.
The castle of the king;
The princess from the turrets gazed
With love's sweet sorrowing.
She called to him a tender word—
“O were I down by thee, my dear!
How whitely show the lambkins there,
How red the flow'rets here!”
“O were I down by thee, my dear!
How whitely show the lambkins there,
How red the flow'rets here!”
The shepherd called to her again—
“O camest thou but down to me;
How blossom there thy cheeks so red—
How white thine armès be.”
“O camest thou but down to me;
How blossom there thy cheeks so red—
How white thine armès be.”
And as he now in silent pain
His flock at every dawning drove,
He looked above, till on the tower
Appeared his tender love.
His flock at every dawning drove,
He looked above, till on the tower
Appeared his tender love.
Then called he joyfully to her,
“O welcome, princess, sweet and fair!”
And sweetly still she answered him,
“O thanks! thou shepherd dear.”
“O welcome, princess, sweet and fair!”
And sweetly still she answered him,
“O thanks! thou shepherd dear.”
103
The winter passed, the spring appeared,
The flowers were blooming as before;
The shepherd loitered by the tower,
But she appeared no more.
The flowers were blooming as before;
The shepherd loitered by the tower,
But she appeared no more.
He called to her, all sorrowful,
“O, welcome, princess, sweet and fair!”—
A phantom voice replied to him,
“Adieu, thou shepherd dear.”
“O, welcome, princess, sweet and fair!”—
A phantom voice replied to him,
“Adieu, thou shepherd dear.”
| [Poems by Howells in] Poems of two friends | |