Elizabeth Barrett Browning - The Romaunt Of Margret (The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Vol. II) lyrics
[Elizabeth Barrett Browning - The Romaunt Of Margret The Poetical Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Vol. II lyrics]
I plant a tree whose leaf
The yew-tree leaf will suit:
But when it's shade is o'er you laid
Turn round and pluck the fruit
Now reach my harp from off the wall
Where shines the sun aslant
The sun may shine and we be cold!
O hearken, loving hearts and bold
Unto my wild romaunt
Margret, Margret
Sitteth the fair ladye
Close to the river side
Which runneth on with a merry tone
Her merry thoughts to guide:
It runneth through the trees
It runneth by the hill
Nathless the lady's
Thoughts have found
A way more pleasant still
Margret, Margret
The night is in her hair
And giveth shade to shade
And the pale moonlight on her forehead white
Like a spirit's hand is laid
Her lips part with a smile
Instead of speakings done:
I ween, she thinketh of a voice
Albeit uttering none
Margret, Margret
All little birds do sit
With heads beneath their wings:
Nature doth seem in a mystic dream
Absorbed from her living things:
That dream by that ladye
Is certes unpartook
For she looketh to the high cold stars
With a tender human look
Margret, Margret
The lady's shadow lies
Upon the running river
It lieth no less in it's quietness
For that which resteth never:
Most like a trusting heart
Upon a passing faith
Or as upon the course of life
The steadfast doom of death
Margret, Margret
The lady doth not move
The lady doth not dream
Yet she seeth her shade no longer laid
In rest upon the stream:
It shaketh without wind
It parteth from the tide
It standeth upright in the cleft moonlight
It sitteth at her side
Margret, Margret
Look in it's face, ladye
And keep thee from thy swound
With a spirit bold thy pulses hold
And hear it's voice's sound:
For so will sound thy voice
When thy face is to the wall
And such will be thy face, ladye
When the maidens work thy pall
Margret, Margret
"Am I not like to thee?"
The voice was calm and low
And between each word you might have heard
The silent forests grow
"The like may sway the like"
By which mysterious law
Mine eyes from thine and my lips from thine
The light and breath may draw
Margret, Margret
"My lips do need thy breath
My lips do need thy smile
And my pallid eyne, that light in thine
Which met the stars erewhile:
Yet go with light and life
If that thou lovest one
In all the earth who loveth thee
As truly as the sun
Margret, Margret"
Her cheek had waxèd white
Like cloud at fall of snow
Then like to one at set of sun
It waxèd red alsò
For love's name maketh bold
As if the loved were near:
And then she sighed the deep long sigh
Which cometh after fear
Margret, Margret
"Now, sooth, I fear thee not
Shall never fear thee now!"
(And a noble sight was the sudden light
Which lit her lifted brow)
"Can earth be dry of streams
Or hearts of love?" she said
"Who doubteth love, can know not love:
He is already dead"
Margret, Margret
"I have" and here her lips
Some word in pause did keep
And gave the while a quiet smile
As if they paused in sleep
"I have a brother dear
A knight of knightly fame!
I broidered him a knightly scarf
With letters of my name
Margret, Margret
"I fed his grey goshawk
I kissed his fierce bloodhoùnd
I sate at home when he might come
And caught his horn's far sound:
I sang him hunter's songs
I poured him the red wine
He looked across the cup and said
I love thee, sister mine"
Margret, Margret
IT trembled on the grass
With a low, shadowy laughter
The sounding river which rolled, for ever
Stood dumb and stagnant after:
"Brave knight thy brother is!
But better loveth he
Thy chaliced wine than thy chaunted song
And better both than thee
Margret, Margret"
The lady did not heed
The river's silence while
Her own thoughts still ran at their will
And calm was still her smile
"My little sister wears
The look our mother wore:
I smooth her locks with a golden comb
I bless her evermore"
Margret, Margret
"I gave her my first bird
When first my voice it knew
I made her share my posies rare
And told her where they grew:
I taught her God's dear name
With prayer and praise to tell
She looked from heaven into my face
And said, I love thee well"
Margret, Margret
IT trembled on the grass
With a low, shadowy laughter
You could see each bird as it woke and stared
Through the shrivelled
Foliage after
"Fair child thy sister is!
But better loveth she
Thy golden comb than thy gathered flowers
And better both than thee
Margret, Margret"
Thy lady did not heed
The withering on the bough
Still calm her smile albeit the while
A little pale her brow:
"I have a father old
The lord of ancient halls
An hundred friends are in his court
Yet only me he calls
Margret, Margret
"An hundred knights are in his court
Yet read I by his knee
And when forth they go to the tourney-show
I rise not up to see:
'T is a weary book to read
My tryst's at set of sun
But loving and dear beneath the stars
Is his blessing when I've done"
Margret, Margret
IT trembled on the grass
With a low, shadowy laughter
And moon and star though bright and far
Did shrink and darken after
"High lord thy father is!
But better loveth he
His ancient halls than his hundred friends
His ancient halls, than thee
Margret, Margret"
The lady did not heed
That the far stars did fail
Still calm her smile, albeit the while
Nay, but she is not pale!
"I have more than a friend
Across the mountains dim:
No other's voice is soft to me
Unless it nameth him"
Margret, Margret
"Though louder beats my heart
I know his tread again
And his fair plume aye, unless turned away
For the tears do blind me then:
We brake no gold, a sign
Of stronger faith to be
But, I wear his last look in my soul
Which said, I love but thee!"
Margret, Margret
IT trembled on the grass
With a low, shadowy laughter
And the wind did toll, as a passing soul
Were sped by church-bell after
And shadows, 'stead of light
Fell from the stars above
In flakes of darkness on her face
Still bright with trusting love
Margret, Margret
"He loved but only thee!
That love is transient too
The wild hawk's bill doth dabble still
I' the mouth that vowed thee true:
Will he open his dull eyes
When tears fall on his brow?
Behold, the death-worm to his heart
Is a nearer thing than thou
Margret, Margret"
Her face was on the ground
None saw the agony
But the men at sea did that night agree
They heard a drowning cry:
And when the morning brake
Fast rolled the river's tide
With the green trees waving overhead
And a white corse laid beside
Margret, Margret
A knight's bloodhound and he
The funeral watch did keep
With a thought o' the chase
He stroked it's face
As it howled to see him weep
A fair child kissed the dead
But shrank before it's cold
And alone yet proudly in his hall
Did stand a baron old
Margret, Margret
Hang up my harp again!
I have no voice for song
Not song but wail, and mourners pale
Not bards, to love belong
O failing human love!
O light, by darkness known!
O false, the while thou treadest earth!
O deaf beneath the stone!
Margret, Margret
The yew-tree leaf will suit:
But when it's shade is o'er you laid
Turn round and pluck the fruit
Now reach my harp from off the wall
Where shines the sun aslant
The sun may shine and we be cold!
O hearken, loving hearts and bold
Unto my wild romaunt
Margret, Margret
Sitteth the fair ladye
Close to the river side
Which runneth on with a merry tone
Her merry thoughts to guide:
It runneth through the trees
It runneth by the hill
Nathless the lady's
Thoughts have found
A way more pleasant still
Margret, Margret
The night is in her hair
And giveth shade to shade
And the pale moonlight on her forehead white
Like a spirit's hand is laid
Her lips part with a smile
Instead of speakings done:
I ween, she thinketh of a voice
Albeit uttering none
Margret, Margret
All little birds do sit
With heads beneath their wings:
Nature doth seem in a mystic dream
Absorbed from her living things:
That dream by that ladye
Is certes unpartook
For she looketh to the high cold stars
With a tender human look
Margret, Margret
The lady's shadow lies
Upon the running river
It lieth no less in it's quietness
For that which resteth never:
Most like a trusting heart
Upon a passing faith
Or as upon the course of life
The steadfast doom of death
Margret, Margret
The lady doth not move
The lady doth not dream
Yet she seeth her shade no longer laid
In rest upon the stream:
It shaketh without wind
It parteth from the tide
It standeth upright in the cleft moonlight
It sitteth at her side
Margret, Margret
Look in it's face, ladye
And keep thee from thy swound
With a spirit bold thy pulses hold
And hear it's voice's sound:
For so will sound thy voice
When thy face is to the wall
And such will be thy face, ladye
When the maidens work thy pall
Margret, Margret
"Am I not like to thee?"
The voice was calm and low
And between each word you might have heard
The silent forests grow
"The like may sway the like"
By which mysterious law
Mine eyes from thine and my lips from thine
The light and breath may draw
Margret, Margret
"My lips do need thy breath
My lips do need thy smile
And my pallid eyne, that light in thine
Which met the stars erewhile:
Yet go with light and life
If that thou lovest one
In all the earth who loveth thee
As truly as the sun
Margret, Margret"
Her cheek had waxèd white
Like cloud at fall of snow
Then like to one at set of sun
It waxèd red alsò
For love's name maketh bold
As if the loved were near:
And then she sighed the deep long sigh
Which cometh after fear
Margret, Margret
"Now, sooth, I fear thee not
Shall never fear thee now!"
(And a noble sight was the sudden light
Which lit her lifted brow)
"Can earth be dry of streams
Or hearts of love?" she said
"Who doubteth love, can know not love:
He is already dead"
Margret, Margret
"I have" and here her lips
Some word in pause did keep
And gave the while a quiet smile
As if they paused in sleep
"I have a brother dear
A knight of knightly fame!
I broidered him a knightly scarf
With letters of my name
Margret, Margret
"I fed his grey goshawk
I kissed his fierce bloodhoùnd
I sate at home when he might come
And caught his horn's far sound:
I sang him hunter's songs
I poured him the red wine
He looked across the cup and said
I love thee, sister mine"
Margret, Margret
IT trembled on the grass
With a low, shadowy laughter
The sounding river which rolled, for ever
Stood dumb and stagnant after:
"Brave knight thy brother is!
But better loveth he
Thy chaliced wine than thy chaunted song
And better both than thee
Margret, Margret"
The lady did not heed
The river's silence while
Her own thoughts still ran at their will
And calm was still her smile
"My little sister wears
The look our mother wore:
I smooth her locks with a golden comb
I bless her evermore"
Margret, Margret
"I gave her my first bird
When first my voice it knew
I made her share my posies rare
And told her where they grew:
I taught her God's dear name
With prayer and praise to tell
She looked from heaven into my face
And said, I love thee well"
Margret, Margret
IT trembled on the grass
With a low, shadowy laughter
You could see each bird as it woke and stared
Through the shrivelled
Foliage after
"Fair child thy sister is!
But better loveth she
Thy golden comb than thy gathered flowers
And better both than thee
Margret, Margret"
Thy lady did not heed
The withering on the bough
Still calm her smile albeit the while
A little pale her brow:
"I have a father old
The lord of ancient halls
An hundred friends are in his court
Yet only me he calls
Margret, Margret
"An hundred knights are in his court
Yet read I by his knee
And when forth they go to the tourney-show
I rise not up to see:
'T is a weary book to read
My tryst's at set of sun
But loving and dear beneath the stars
Is his blessing when I've done"
Margret, Margret
IT trembled on the grass
With a low, shadowy laughter
And moon and star though bright and far
Did shrink and darken after
"High lord thy father is!
But better loveth he
His ancient halls than his hundred friends
His ancient halls, than thee
Margret, Margret"
The lady did not heed
That the far stars did fail
Still calm her smile, albeit the while
Nay, but she is not pale!
"I have more than a friend
Across the mountains dim:
No other's voice is soft to me
Unless it nameth him"
Margret, Margret
"Though louder beats my heart
I know his tread again
And his fair plume aye, unless turned away
For the tears do blind me then:
We brake no gold, a sign
Of stronger faith to be
But, I wear his last look in my soul
Which said, I love but thee!"
Margret, Margret
IT trembled on the grass
With a low, shadowy laughter
And the wind did toll, as a passing soul
Were sped by church-bell after
And shadows, 'stead of light
Fell from the stars above
In flakes of darkness on her face
Still bright with trusting love
Margret, Margret
"He loved but only thee!
That love is transient too
The wild hawk's bill doth dabble still
I' the mouth that vowed thee true:
Will he open his dull eyes
When tears fall on his brow?
Behold, the death-worm to his heart
Is a nearer thing than thou
Margret, Margret"
Her face was on the ground
None saw the agony
But the men at sea did that night agree
They heard a drowning cry:
And when the morning brake
Fast rolled the river's tide
With the green trees waving overhead
And a white corse laid beside
Margret, Margret
A knight's bloodhound and he
The funeral watch did keep
With a thought o' the chase
He stroked it's face
As it howled to see him weep
A fair child kissed the dead
But shrank before it's cold
And alone yet proudly in his hall
Did stand a baron old
Margret, Margret
Hang up my harp again!
I have no voice for song
Not song but wail, and mourners pale
Not bards, to love belong
O failing human love!
O light, by darkness known!
O false, the while thou treadest earth!
O deaf beneath the stone!
Margret, Margret