Elizabeth Barrett Browning - The Romance of the Swan's Nest lyrics

Little Ellie sit's alone
 'Mid the beeches of a meadow
   By a stream-side on the grass
And the trees are showering down
 Doubles of their leaves in shadow
   On her shining hair and face

She has thrown her bonnet by
 And her feet she has been dipping
   In the shallow water's flow:
Now she holds them nakedly
 In her hands, all sleek and dripping
   While she rocketh to and fro

Little Ellie sit's alone
 And the smile she softly uses
   Fills the silence like a speech
While she thinks what shall be done
 And the sweetest pleasure chooses
   For her future within reach



Little Ellie in her smile
 Chooses "I will have a lover
   Riding on a steed of steeds:
He shall love me without guile
 And to him I will discover
   The swan's nest among the reeds

"And the steed shall be red-roan
 And the lover shall be noble
   With an eye that takes the breath:
And the lute he plays upon
 Shall strike ladies into trouble
   As his sword strikes men to death

"And the steed it shall be shod
 All in silver, housed in azure
   And the mane shall swim the wind
And the hoofs along the sod
 Shall flash onward and keep measure
   Till the shepherds look behind

"But my lover will not prize
 All the glory that he rides in
   When he gazes in my face:
He will say, 'O Love, thine eyes
 Build the shrine my soul abides in
   And I kneel here for thy grace!'

"Then, ay, then he shall kneel low
 With the red-roan steed anear him
   Which shall seem to understand
Till I answer, 'Rise and go!
 For the world must love and fear him
   Whom I gift with heart and hand'

"Then he will arise so pale
 I shall feel my own lips tremble
   With a yes I must not say
Nathless maiden-brave, 'Farewell, '
 I will utter, and dissemble
   'Light to-morrow with to day!'

"Then he'll ride among the hills
 To the wide world past the river
   There to put away all wrong
To make straight distorted wills
 And to empty the broad quiver
   Which the wicked bear along

"Three times shall a young foot page
 Swim the stream and climb the mountain
   And kneel down beside my feet
'Lo, my master sends this gage
 Lady, for thy pity's counting!
   What wilt thou exchange for it?'

"And the first time I will send
 A white rosebud for a guerdon
   And the second time, a glove
But the third time I may bend
 From my pride, and answer 'Pardon
   If he comes to take my love'

"Then the young foot page will run
 Then my lover will ride faster
   Till he kneeleth at my knee:
'I am a duke's eldest son
 Thousand serfs do call me master
   But, O Love, I love but thee!'

"He will kiss me on the mouth
 Then, and lead me as a lover
   Through the crowds that
Praise his deeds
And, when soul-tied by one troth
 Unto him I will discover
   That swan's nest among the reeds"

Little Ellie, with her smile
 Not yet ended, rose up gaily
   Tied the bonnet, donned the shoe
And went homeward, round a mile
 Just to see, as she did daily
   What more eggs were with the two

Pushing through the elm-tree copse
 Winding up the stream, light hearted
   Where the osier pathway leads
Past the boughs she stoops and stops
 Lo, the wild swan had deserted
   And a rat had gnawed the reeds!

Ellie went home sad and slow
 If she found the lover ever
   With his red-roan steed of steeds
Sooth I know not but I know
 She could never show him never
   That swan's nest among the reeds!