Poems By William Bell Scott. Ballads, Studies from Nature, Sonnets, etc. Illustrated by Seventeen Etchings by the Author and L. Alma Tadema |
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III
Therewith a cry shot over them,
As it came from out the sea—
The cry of a woman in sharp despite,
Crying, ‘Aï, woe is me!’
As it came from out the sea—
The cry of a woman in sharp despite,
Crying, ‘Aï, woe is me!’
19
The hail it flashed on bench and board,
By a loud wind borne along;
The singers fled within the bower,
And thrust the bolt so strong.
By a loud wind borne along;
The singers fled within the bower,
And thrust the bolt so strong.
And there the lady Kriemhild sat,
Childe Eric by her side,—
Together sat they hand in hand,
But their eyes were turned aside.
Childe Eric by her side,—
Together sat they hand in hand,
But their eyes were turned aside.
And the damsels knew as she sat so still,
With never a welcome word,
Their ditty had shorn between them
As it had been a sword.
With never a welcome word,
Their ditty had shorn between them
As it had been a sword.
They too were foster-children once,
Their love too had been strong,—
Can what hath passed return again
Like the burden of a song?
Their love too had been strong,—
Can what hath passed return again
Like the burden of a song?
For Love descends with a great surprise,
An angel on our cold floor;
And he never should leave us, never again,
For we're colder than before.
An angel on our cold floor;
And he never should leave us, never again,
For we're colder than before.
Was this the boy she played with once
Come from the great war's game,
More learned too than a priest, 'twas said,—
While she remained the same?
Come from the great war's game,
More learned too than a priest, 'twas said,—
While she remained the same?
20
It seemed as she sat, long miles away
Some wedding-bells rang out;
But whether for her or for some other bride,
She mazed herself in doubt.
Some wedding-bells rang out;
But whether for her or for some other bride,
She mazed herself in doubt.
Whose were they if they were not hers?
Some dream she would recall;
But the gathering thunder swept them out,
And shook the wainscot wall.
Some dream she would recall;
But the gathering thunder swept them out,
And shook the wainscot wall.
Then again that wild lamenting cry,
‘Aï, oh, woe is me!’
Severed the air like a fiery lance;—
Nor could she choose but see
It went right through him like his doom,—
‘Aï, oh, woe is me!’
‘Aï, oh, woe is me!’
Severed the air like a fiery lance;—
Nor could she choose but see
It went right through him like his doom,—
‘Aï, oh, woe is me!’
And with it rolled a surge of waves
All round the bower outside;
A knocking smote the bolted door,
The voice behind it cried:—
All round the bower outside;
A knocking smote the bolted door,
The voice behind it cried:—
‘Come back to me, Eric! I am now
A woman with love in store;—
Why went you while I slept?—my hair
Is not now as heretofore.
A woman with love in store;—
Why went you while I slept?—my hair
Is not now as heretofore.
‘It clings so heavy and cold and wet,
Oh, hasten, and bring with thee
The ring and the necklace and girdle-gold,
The long-lawn and cramoisie!
Oh, hasten, and bring with thee
The ring and the necklace and girdle-gold,
The long-lawn and cramoisie!
21
‘My guardian and my husband sworn,
Return again to me,
And these sea-waters will go back,
Back safe into the sea.
Return again to me,
And these sea-waters will go back,
Back safe into the sea.
‘The rain it runs down breast and thigh,—
For thee I am so brave:
I would not that mine ancient kin
Shall make the floods thy grave!’
For thee I am so brave:
I would not that mine ancient kin
Shall make the floods thy grave!’
The gentle Kriemhild and her maids
Together stood quite still,
Stood altogether listening
To the voice so wild and shrill.
Together stood quite still,
Stood altogether listening
To the voice so wild and shrill.
‘Childe Eric, oh my long-betrothed,
Who is this calling so?’
‘Alas! I know not nor can tell,
And you must never know.’
Who is this calling so?’
‘Alas! I know not nor can tell,
And you must never know.’
‘My sweet bower-maidens, tell me true,
Who is it calleth him?’
‘I see,’ quoth Joan, ‘by the window-pane
A brown sea-serpent swim—’
Who is it calleth him?’
‘I see,’ quoth Joan, ‘by the window-pane
A brown sea-serpent swim—’
‘But we must mount the topmost steps,
The flood-waves rise so high,’—
‘I cannot move,’ Childe Eric cries;
‘I must remain to die.’
The flood-waves rise so high,’—
‘I cannot move,’ Childe Eric cries;
‘I must remain to die.’
22
With that she fell upon his neck,
She would not leave him there;
But her damsels raised her in their arms,
And clomb the higher stair.
She would not leave him there;
But her damsels raised her in their arms,
And clomb the higher stair.
And as they climbed they heard below
The door wide open fly;
Then all at once the darkness broke
Across the rending sky,
The door wide open fly;
Then all at once the darkness broke
Across the rending sky,
And struggling strongly out, they saw,
Amidst the coiling spray,
A long-haired woman's shining arms,
Wherein Childe Eric lay!
Amidst the coiling spray,
A long-haired woman's shining arms,
Wherein Childe Eric lay!
And faintly came again that cry,
‘Aï, oh, woe is me!
Where is the ring and the girdle-gold,
The long-lawn and cramoisie?’
‘Aï, oh, woe is me!
Where is the ring and the girdle-gold,
The long-lawn and cramoisie?’
| Poems | |