In Cornwall and Across the Sea With Poems Written in Devonshire. By Douglas B. W. Sladen |
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THE MERMAID OF ZENNOR—A BALLAD. |
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 | In Cornwall and Across the Sea |  |
29
THE MERMAID OF ZENNOR—A BALLAD.
O strangers from Australia,
And strangers born at home,
Who know no more of England
Than those from o'er the foam,
And strangers born at home,
Who know no more of England
Than those from o'er the foam,
There is a church at Zennor,
By the North Cornish sea,
Where our forefathers worshipped
And worship still may we
By the North Cornish sea,
Where our forefathers worshipped
And worship still may we
In an old-fashioned building,
In the old-fashioned style;
The church has still a Saxon floor
And early-English aisle.
In the old-fashioned style;
The church has still a Saxon floor
And early-English aisle.
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The carving of the chancel
Is plaster-overlaid;
'Twas done two centuries ago
When sturdy Roundheads prayed.
Is plaster-overlaid;
'Twas done two centuries ago
When sturdy Roundheads prayed.
But the bench ends carved grotesquely
Of honest English oak
Have all, save two, departed,
In the common way of folk.
Of honest English oak
Have all, save two, departed,
In the common way of folk.
And these two are Zennor's glory,
More especially the one
With the figure of a mermaid
Rudely and oldly done.
More especially the one
With the figure of a mermaid
Rudely and oldly done.
Why the figure of a mermaid
Should grace a Christian church
Has defied whole generations
Of original research.
Should grace a Christian church
Has defied whole generations
Of original research.
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But we know no better reason
Than the Zennor people told,
In the days when men believed things,
In the fairy days of old.
Than the Zennor people told,
In the days when men believed things,
In the fairy days of old.
For the squire's son of Zennor,
So the ancient legend said,
Sang so sweetly that he drew to land
A wondering sea-maid,
So the ancient legend said,
Sang so sweetly that he drew to land
A wondering sea-maid,
Who loved him and allured him
Down to her ocean home,
To go and be a merman
Beneath Atlantic foam.
Down to her ocean home,
To go and be a merman
Beneath Atlantic foam.
And they never saw him after
And carved the maid in oak
To show how she was fashioned,
Who lured him from his folk.
And carved the maid in oak
To show how she was fashioned,
Who lured him from his folk.
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For of all the men in Cornwall
There are none can sing a glee
Like the singing men of Zennor
Beside the Severn sea.
There are none can sing a glee
Like the singing men of Zennor
Beside the Severn sea.
But the neighbours say the reason
Why the maid was carved in oak
Was because a heathen mermaid
Had taught the Zennor folk.
Why the maid was carved in oak
Was because a heathen mermaid
Had taught the Zennor folk.
And the parson said the mermaid
Was a figure of the sea,
Because the first apostles
Had fished in Galilee.
Was a figure of the sea,
Because the first apostles
Had fished in Galilee.
Well—anyhow the mermaid
Is carved in heart of oak,
And Zennor men sing better
Than any other folk—
So Zennor people tell you,
In earnest or in joke.
Is carved in heart of oak,
And Zennor men sing better
Than any other folk—
So Zennor people tell you,
In earnest or in joke.
| In Cornwall and Across the Sea | |