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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THE RENDEZVOUS.
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37
THE RENDEZVOUS.
‘Lay my head upon thy neck,
My sister, ever so dear to me;
Thy cool cheek on my burning brow,
And if I weep, you may not see.
The wind it lies i' the sedges.
My sister, ever so dear to me;
Thy cool cheek on my burning brow,
And if I weep, you may not see.
The wind it lies i' the sedges.
‘In this low shieling down so far,
Below the bower where we were born,
He knows I'll wait to hear again
The sound o' his blythe bugle-horn.
The wind it sighs i' the sedges.
Below the bower where we were born,
He knows I'll wait to hear again
The sound o' his blythe bugle-horn.
The wind it sighs i' the sedges.
‘I hold him blameless now as then,
For love must bide with confidence,
And truth with trust I surely think,
Withouten question or defence.
The wind it sings i' the sedges.
For love must bide with confidence,
And truth with trust I surely think,
Withouten question or defence.
The wind it sings i' the sedges.
‘Here, sheltered in the thick green shaw,
The day is long, the night is drear;
But days and nights wear on until
The joy of his return is near.
The wind it clings to the sedges.
The day is long, the night is drear;
But days and nights wear on until
The joy of his return is near.
The wind it clings to the sedges.
38
‘As I stood on the wrinkled shore
The waves they sang of him to me,
Here-away, there-away, wandering
On the far side of the sea.
Butterflies light on the sedges.
The waves they sang of him to me,
Here-away, there-away, wandering
On the far side of the sea.
Butterflies light on the sedges.
‘They said his dark days all were done,
And that his ship was in full sail,
With men on the deck and wealth below,
And braws for me, the pick and wale.
The lily is bright in the sedges.
And that his ship was in full sail,
With men on the deck and wealth below,
And braws for me, the pick and wale.
The lily is bright in the sedges.
‘So here I've come to this dear place,
And yestere'en the high window,
Where we in one bed children slept,
I saw it shining in the glow.
The small fish darts i' the sedges.
And yestere'en the high window,
Where we in one bed children slept,
I saw it shining in the glow.
The small fish darts i' the sedges.
‘It seemed in fancy I discerned
The place where once our two heads lay,
And I thought how oft you combed my hair,
And dressed me many a day.
The bittern starts i' the sedges.
The place where once our two heads lay,
And I thought how oft you combed my hair,
And dressed me many a day.
The bittern starts i' the sedges.
‘For thou wert ever a mother to me;
I, weak and wayward, scarce can tell
How good thou wert,—and yet I went
That dreadful night without farewell.
The badger rattles the sedges.
I, weak and wayward, scarce can tell
How good thou wert,—and yet I went
That dreadful night without farewell.
The badger rattles the sedges.
39
‘But I so feared our father, Maud;
Love-wildered, I had lost my head:
I feared still more that false Delue
My father meant that I should wed.’
The bind-weed waitles the sedges.
Love-wildered, I had lost my head:
I feared still more that false Delue
My father meant that I should wed.’
The bind-weed waitles the sedges.
‘Ah, well-a-day! my sister May,
I shrink from him as then you did;
For now he is to husband me,
If I conform, as I am bid.’
The adder it hides i' the sedges.
I shrink from him as then you did;
For now he is to husband me,
If I conform, as I am bid.’
The adder it hides i' the sedges.
‘But that must never, never be;
Wise sister Maud, it shall not be:
For, hark! my true love's bugle-note—
I know it brings good cheer to me!’
Sunlight glides through the sedges.
Wise sister Maud, it shall not be:
For, hark! my true love's bugle-note—
I know it brings good cheer to me!’
Sunlight glides through the sedges.
‘Nay, 'tis but father's hunting-horn,
With horses, dogs, and false Delue!’
‘They also! but by yon cross road
There comes my love, and his men too!
The wind again breaks i' the sedges.
With horses, dogs, and false Delue!’
‘They also! but by yon cross road
There comes my love, and his men too!
The wind again breaks i' the sedges.
‘And now I know the hour shall strike,
Cast out my child and I shall be;
Or false Delue's last game is played;—
We'll part no more, my love and me!
The spring it awakes i' the sedges.
Cast out my child and I shall be;
Or false Delue's last game is played;—
We'll part no more, my love and me!
The spring it awakes i' the sedges.
40
‘Now they parley, man to man,—
Short speech, alas! for they must fight:
My Lionel and Delue,—at once
They draw their swords, so long and bright.
The fisherman watches the sedges.
Short speech, alas! for they must fight:
My Lionel and Delue,—at once
They draw their swords, so long and bright.
The fisherman watches the sedges.
‘My father and that stranger lord
Draw back the men each side the way,
Some here, some there, they stand in line,
Stand to look, as it were play!
The hurricane catches the sedges.
Draw back the men each side the way,
Some here, some there, they stand in line,
Stand to look, as it were play!
The hurricane catches the sedges.
‘My sister Maud, now hold me up;
I must stand here, I must look on,—
Holy Mary, soothe my child
Until this mortal strife be done!
The storm wind weighs on the sedges.
I must stand here, I must look on,—
Holy Mary, soothe my child
Until this mortal strife be done!
The storm wind weighs on the sedges.
‘I must look on,—fear not for me;
Full well I know his arm is strong:
I must look on,—full well I know
The struggle will not hold them long.
The wild wind lays down the sedges.
Full well I know his arm is strong:
I must look on,—full well I know
The struggle will not hold them long.
The wild wind lays down the sedges.
‘My child, my child! so loud it cries,
I pressed it all too close to me;
He hears it, and he turns this way,
His hand drops down beside his knee.
The lightning shatters the sedges.
I pressed it all too close to me;
He hears it, and he turns this way,
His hand drops down beside his knee.
The lightning shatters the sedges.
41
‘Delue is closing on him now;—
My true, true love, it never can be!
Take me, sister, in your arms;
I cannot hear, I cannot see.’
The flood-tide scatters the sedges.
My true, true love, it never can be!
Take me, sister, in your arms;
I cannot hear, I cannot see.’
The flood-tide scatters the sedges.
‘Lie down, lie down! and let me watch:
Delue goes back with deadly wound;
He tries in vain to lift his arm,—
He falls—falls flat upon the ground.
The rain it spurns the sedges.
Delue goes back with deadly wound;
He tries in vain to lift his arm,—
He falls—falls flat upon the ground.
The rain it spurns the sedges.
‘Hear you, sister, what I say?
Shouts and steps approach the door:
'Tis Lionel himself who lifts you,
Gently lifts you from the floor!’
Sunshine returns to the sedges.
Shouts and steps approach the door:
'Tis Lionel himself who lifts you,
Gently lifts you from the floor!’
Sunshine returns to the sedges.
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