Elizabeth Barrett Browning - The Poet's Vow (Showing How Rosalind Fared By The Keeping Of The Vow) lyrics
[Elizabeth Barrett Browning - The Poet's Vow Showing How Rosalind Fared By The Keeping Of The Vow lyrics]
In death-sheets lieth Rosalind
As white and still as they
And the old nurse that watched her bed
Rose up with "Well-a day!"
And oped the casement to let in
The sun, and that sweet doubtful din
Which droppeth from the grass and bough
Sans wind and bird, none knoweth how
To cheer her as she lay
To Be Contee
The old nurse started when she saw
Her sudden look of woe:
But the quick wan tremblings round her mouth
In a meek smile did go
And calm she said, "When I am dead
Dear nurse it shall be so
"Till then, shut out those sights and sounds
And pray God pardon me
That I without this pain no more
His blessed works can see!
And lean beside me, loving nurse
That thou mayst hear, ere I am worse
What thy last love should be"
The loving nurse leant over her
As white she lay beneath
The old eyes searching, dim with life
The young ones dim with death
To read their look if sound forsook
The trying, trembling breath
"When all this feeble breath is done
And I on bier am laid
My tresses smoothed for never a feast
My body in shroud arrayed
Uplift each palm in a saintly calm
As if that still I prayed
"And heap beneath mine head the flowers
You stoop so low to pull
The little white flowers from the wood
Which grow there in the cool
Which he and I, in childhood's games
Went plucking, knowing not their names
And filled thine apron full
"Weep not! I weep not death is strong
The eyes of Death are dry!
But lay this scroll upon my breast
When hushed it's heavings lie
And wait awhile for the corpse's smile
Which shineth presently
"And when it shineth, straightway call
Thy youngest children dear
And bid them gently carry me
All barefaced on the bier
But bid them pass my kirkyard grass
That waveth long anear
"And up the bank where I used to sit
And dream what life would be
Along the brook with it's sunny look
Akin to living glee
O'er the windy hill, through
The forest still
Let them gently carry me
"And through the piny forest still
And down the open moorland
Round where the sea beats mistily
And blindly on the foreland
And let them chant that hymn I know
Bearing me soft, bearing me slow
To the ancient hall of Courland
"And when withal they near the hall
In silence let them lay
My bier before the bolted door
And leave it for a day:
For I have vowed, though I am proud
To go there as a guest in shroud
And not be turned away"
The old nurse looked within her eyes
Whose mutual look was gone
The old nurse stooped upon her mouth
Whose answering voice was done
And nought she heard, till a little bird
Upon the casement's woodbine swinging
Broke out into a loud sweet singing
For joy o' the summer sun:
"Alack! alack!" she watched no more
With head on knee she wailèd sore
And the little bird sang o'er and o'er
For joy o' the summer sun
As white and still as they
And the old nurse that watched her bed
Rose up with "Well-a day!"
And oped the casement to let in
The sun, and that sweet doubtful din
Which droppeth from the grass and bough
Sans wind and bird, none knoweth how
To cheer her as she lay
To Be Contee
The old nurse started when she saw
Her sudden look of woe:
But the quick wan tremblings round her mouth
In a meek smile did go
And calm she said, "When I am dead
Dear nurse it shall be so
"Till then, shut out those sights and sounds
And pray God pardon me
That I without this pain no more
His blessed works can see!
And lean beside me, loving nurse
That thou mayst hear, ere I am worse
What thy last love should be"
The loving nurse leant over her
As white she lay beneath
The old eyes searching, dim with life
The young ones dim with death
To read their look if sound forsook
The trying, trembling breath
"When all this feeble breath is done
And I on bier am laid
My tresses smoothed for never a feast
My body in shroud arrayed
Uplift each palm in a saintly calm
As if that still I prayed
"And heap beneath mine head the flowers
You stoop so low to pull
The little white flowers from the wood
Which grow there in the cool
Which he and I, in childhood's games
Went plucking, knowing not their names
And filled thine apron full
"Weep not! I weep not death is strong
The eyes of Death are dry!
But lay this scroll upon my breast
When hushed it's heavings lie
And wait awhile for the corpse's smile
Which shineth presently
"And when it shineth, straightway call
Thy youngest children dear
And bid them gently carry me
All barefaced on the bier
But bid them pass my kirkyard grass
That waveth long anear
"And up the bank where I used to sit
And dream what life would be
Along the brook with it's sunny look
Akin to living glee
O'er the windy hill, through
The forest still
Let them gently carry me
"And through the piny forest still
And down the open moorland
Round where the sea beats mistily
And blindly on the foreland
And let them chant that hymn I know
Bearing me soft, bearing me slow
To the ancient hall of Courland
"And when withal they near the hall
In silence let them lay
My bier before the bolted door
And leave it for a day:
For I have vowed, though I am proud
To go there as a guest in shroud
And not be turned away"
The old nurse looked within her eyes
Whose mutual look was gone
The old nurse stooped upon her mouth
Whose answering voice was done
And nought she heard, till a little bird
Upon the casement's woodbine swinging
Broke out into a loud sweet singing
For joy o' the summer sun:
"Alack! alack!" she watched no more
With head on knee she wailèd sore
And the little bird sang o'er and o'er
For joy o' the summer sun