 | The Burden of the Bell and Other Lyrics |  |
79
THE SEA-MAID'S RING.
“Diver, bold diver, what hast thou brought me
Up from the sea?”
“Starry and golden, a ring, O damsel,
I have brought thee—
A ring that fell from a sea-maid's finger,
Right fair to see.
Up from the sea?”
“Starry and golden, a ring, O damsel,
I have brought thee—
A ring that fell from a sea-maid's finger,
Right fair to see.
In the deep sea-caves, damsel, she caught me
By my long hair—
‘Tarry, O diver, tarry and love me!’
So sang she there:
‘Love me, O love me!’ but fiercely I mocked her
And her soft prayer.
By my long hair—
‘Tarry, O diver, tarry and love me!’
So sang she there:
‘Love me, O love me!’ but fiercely I mocked her
And her soft prayer.
Foul scorn, O sea-maid, give I unto thee,
Love give I none;
Eyes that are darker, smiles that are sweeter,
Mine heart have won;
On the rocks waiteth me my betroth'd maiden,
Earth's fairest one.
Love give I none;
Eyes that are darker, smiles that are sweeter,
Mine heart have won;
On the rocks waiteth me my betroth'd maiden,
Earth's fairest one.
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Straight in my palm her starry ring dropped she
With a dark smile;
Unwound her snowy arms, gazed at me mutely
For a brief while;
Then through the coral caves, echoing her laughter,
The maid did flee,
And with this gift of hers, shedding light round it
Wondrous to see,
Through the wild water, damsel belovëd,
Came I to thee.”
With a dark smile;
Unwound her snowy arms, gazed at me mutely
For a brief while;
Then through the coral caves, echoing her laughter,
The maid did flee,
And with this gift of hers, shedding light round it
Wondrous to see,
Through the wild water, damsel belovëd,
Came I to thee.”
On the rocks stood they o'erhanging the billow,
Sunset was nigh;
Darkly one cloud did float, dimming the splendour
Of the sweet sky,
And on the maiden's face brooded its shadow
All bodingly.
Sunset was nigh;
Darkly one cloud did float, dimming the splendour
Of the sweet sky,
And on the maiden's face brooded its shadow
All bodingly.
In the youth's hand her own placed she full fondly,
Yet timidly;
Soon on her finger gleamed the small circlet
Bright as might be;
But when from love's embrace, from its close clasping
She was set free,
With a weird cry of wild misery leaped she
Into the sea!
Yet timidly;
Soon on her finger gleamed the small circlet
Bright as might be;
But when from love's embrace, from its close clasping
She was set free,
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Into the sea!
Down through the billow, through the cleft billow,
In his despair
Swift sank the diver, with straining eyeballs
Seeking her there;
But alas! never more shall he behold her,
That maiden fair.
In his despair
Swift sank the diver, with straining eyeballs
Seeking her there;
But alas! never more shall he behold her,
That maiden fair.
Nevermore, nevermore! life ebbeth from him,
Life's hope doth fail,
And from the coral caves plainly he heareth
A mocking wail,
Whereat his heart doth grow fainter within him,
His cheek more pale.
Life's hope doth fail,
And from the coral caves plainly he heareth
A mocking wail,
Whereat his heart doth grow fainter within him,
His cheek more pale.
Terrible fantasies, shifting for ever,
His sense beguile;
Shapes flit around him in the wild water
Loathly and vile,
And in his dying eyes glareth the sea-maid,
With her dark smile.
His sense beguile;
Shapes flit around him in the wild water
Loathly and vile,
And in his dying eyes glareth the sea-maid,
With her dark smile.
| The Burden of the Bell and Other Lyrics | |