 | The poems (1969) |  |
596
13 Edwin and Angelina
599
Turn, gentle hermit of the dale,
And guide my lonely way,
To where yon taper cheers the vale
With hospitable ray.
And guide my lonely way,
To where yon taper cheers the vale
With hospitable ray.
‘For here forlorn and lost I tread,
With fainting steps and slow;
Where wilds immeasurably spread,
Seem lengthening as I go.’
With fainting steps and slow;
Where wilds immeasurably spread,
Seem lengthening as I go.’
‘Forbear, my son,’ the hermit cries,
‘To tempt the dangerous gloom;
For yonder faithless phantom flies
To lure thee to thy doom.
‘To tempt the dangerous gloom;
For yonder faithless phantom flies
To lure thee to thy doom.
‘Here to the houseless child of want
My door is open still;
And though my portion is but scant,
I give it with good will.
My door is open still;
And though my portion is but scant,
I give it with good will.
‘Then turn tonight, and freely share
Whate'er my cell bestows;
My rushy couch and frugal fare,
My blessing and repose.
Whate'er my cell bestows;
My rushy couch and frugal fare,
My blessing and repose.
‘No flocks that range the valley free
To slaughter I condemn:
Taught by that power that pities me,
I learn to pity them.
To slaughter I condemn:
Taught by that power that pities me,
I learn to pity them.
‘But from the mountain's grassy side
A guiltless feast I bring;
A scrip with herbs and fruits supplied,
And water from the spring.
A guiltless feast I bring;
A scrip with herbs and fruits supplied,
And water from the spring.
600
‘Then, pilgrim, turn, thy cares forgo;
All earth-born cares are wrong:
Man wants but little here below,
Nor wants that little long.’
All earth-born cares are wrong:
Man wants but little here below,
Nor wants that little long.’
Soft as the dew from heaven descends,
His gentle accents fell:
The modest stranger lowly bends,
And follows to the cell.
His gentle accents fell:
The modest stranger lowly bends,
And follows to the cell.
Far in a wilderness obscure
The lonely mansion lay;
A refuge to the neighbouring poor
And strangers led astray.
The lonely mansion lay;
A refuge to the neighbouring poor
And strangers led astray.
No stores beneath its humble thatch
Required a master's care;
The wicket, opening with a latch,
Received the harmless pair.
Required a master's care;
The wicket, opening with a latch,
Received the harmless pair.
And now, when busy crowds retire
To take their evening rest,
The hermit trimmed his little fire,
And cheered his pensive guest:
To take their evening rest,
The hermit trimmed his little fire,
And cheered his pensive guest:
And spread his vegetable store,
And gaily pressed and smiled;
And, skilled in legendary lore,
The lingering hours beguiled.
And gaily pressed and smiled;
601
The lingering hours beguiled.
Around in sympathetic mirth
Its tricks the kitten tries;
The cricket chirrups in the hearth;
The crackling faggot flies.
Its tricks the kitten tries;
The cricket chirrups in the hearth;
The crackling faggot flies.
But nothing could a charm impart
To soothe the stranger's woe;
For grief was heavy at his heart,
And tears began to flow.
To soothe the stranger's woe;
For grief was heavy at his heart,
And tears began to flow.
His rising cares the hermit spied,
With answering care oppressed;
‘And whence, unhappy youth,’ he cried,
‘The sorrows of thy breast?
With answering care oppressed;
‘And whence, unhappy youth,’ he cried,
‘The sorrows of thy breast?
‘From better habitations spurned,
Reluctant dost thou rove;
Or grieve for friendship unreturned,
Or unregarded love?
Reluctant dost thou rove;
Or grieve for friendship unreturned,
Or unregarded love?
‘Alas! the joys that fortune brings
Are trifling, and decay;
And those who prize the paltry things,
More trifling still than they.
Are trifling, and decay;
And those who prize the paltry things,
More trifling still than they.
‘And what is friendship but a name,
A charm that lulls to sleep;
A shade that follows wealth or fame,
But leaves the wretch to weep?
A charm that lulls to sleep;
A shade that follows wealth or fame,
But leaves the wretch to weep?
‘And love is still an emptier sound,
The modern fair one's jest:
On earth unseen, or only found
To warm the turtle's nest.
The modern fair one's jest:
602
To warm the turtle's nest.
‘For shame, fond youth, thy sorrows hush,
And spurn the sex,’ he said:
But, while he spoke, a rising blush
His love-lorn guest betrayed.
And spurn the sex,’ he said:
But, while he spoke, a rising blush
His love-lorn guest betrayed.
Surprised, he sees new beauties rise,
Swift mantling to the view;
Like colours o'er the morning skies,
As bright, as transient too.
Swift mantling to the view;
Like colours o'er the morning skies,
As bright, as transient too.
The bashful look, the rising breast,
Alternate spread alarms:
The lovely stranger stands confessed
A maid in all her charms.
Alternate spread alarms:
The lovely stranger stands confessed
A maid in all her charms.
‘And, ah! forgive a stranger rude,
A wretch forlorn,’ she cried;
‘Whose feet unhallowed thus intrude
Where heaven and you reside.
A wretch forlorn,’ she cried;
‘Whose feet unhallowed thus intrude
Where heaven and you reside.
‘But let a maid thy pity share,
Whom love has taught to stray;
Who seeks for rest, but finds despair
Companion of her way.
Whom love has taught to stray;
Who seeks for rest, but finds despair
Companion of her way.
‘My father lived beside the Tyne,
A wealthy lord was he;
And all his wealth was marked as mine,
He had but only me.
A wealthy lord was he;
603
He had but only me.
‘To win me from his tender arms
Unnumbered suitors came;
Who praised me for imputed charms,
And felt or feigned a flame.
Unnumbered suitors came;
Who praised me for imputed charms,
And felt or feigned a flame.
‘Each hour a mercenary crowd
With richest proffers strove:
Among the rest young Edwin bowed,
But never talked of love.
With richest proffers strove:
Among the rest young Edwin bowed,
But never talked of love.
‘In humble, simplest habit clad,
No wealth nor power had he;
Wisdom and worth were all he had,
But these were all to me.
No wealth nor power had he;
Wisdom and worth were all he had,
But these were all to me.
‘The blossom opening to the day,
The dews of heaven refined,
Could nought of purity display,
To emulate his mind.
The dews of heaven refined,
604
To emulate his mind.
‘The dew, the blossom on the tree,
With charms inconstant shine;
Their charms were his, but woe to me,
Their constancy was mine.
With charms inconstant shine;
Their charms were his, but woe to me,
Their constancy was mine.
‘For still I tried each fickle art,
Importunate and vain:
And while his passion touched my heart,
I triumphed in his pain.
Importunate and vain:
And while his passion touched my heart,
I triumphed in his pain.
‘Till quite dejected with my scorn,
He left me to my pride;
And sought a solitude forlorn,
In secret, where he died.
He left me to my pride;
And sought a solitude forlorn,
In secret, where he died.
605
‘But mine the sorrow, mine the fault,
And well my life shall pay;
I'll seek the solitude he sought,
And stretch me where he lay.
And well my life shall pay;
I'll seek the solitude he sought,
And stretch me where he lay.
‘And there forlorn, despairing, hid,
I'll lay me down and die:
'Twas so for me that Edwin did,
And so for him will I.’
I'll lay me down and die:
'Twas so for me that Edwin did,
And so for him will I.’
‘Forbid it, heaven!’ the hermit cried,
And clasped her to his breast:
The wondering fair one turned to chide,
'Twas Edwin's self that pressed.
And clasped her to his breast:
The wondering fair one turned to chide,
'Twas Edwin's self that pressed.
‘Turn, Angelina, ever dear,
My charmer, turn to see
Thy own, thy long-lost Edwin here,
Restored to love and thee.
My charmer, turn to see
Thy own, thy long-lost Edwin here,
Restored to love and thee.
‘Thus let me hold thee to my heart,
And every care resign;
And shall we never, never part,
My life—my all that's mine?
And every care resign;
And shall we never, never part,
My life—my all that's mine?
‘No, never from this hour to part,
We'll live and love so true;
The sigh that rends thy constant heart
Shall break thy Edwin's too.’
We'll live and love so true;
606
Shall break thy Edwin's too.’
| The poems (1969) | |