Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) (61 page)
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Authors: Homer,William Shakespeare
Traditional Ballads
THERE were three rauens sat on a tree,
Downe a downe, hay down, hay downe
There were three rauens sat on a tree,
With a downe
There were three rauens sat on a tree,
5
They were as blacke as they might be.
With a downe derrie, derrie, derrie, downe, downe.
The one of them said to his mate,
“Where shall we our breakefast take?”
“Downe in yonder greene field,
10
There lies a knight slain vnder his shield.
“His hounds they lie downe at his feete,
So well they can their master keepe.
“His haukes they flie so eagerly,
There’s no fowle dare him come nie.”
15
Downe there comes a fallow doe,
As great with yong as she might goe.
She lift vp his bloudy hed,
And kist his wounds that were so red.
She got him vp vpon her backe,
20
And carried him to earthen lake.
She buried him before the prime,
She was dead herselfe ere euen-song time.
God send euery gentleman,
Such haukes, such hounds, and such a leman.
25
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Traditional Ballads
AS I was walking all alane,
I heard two corbies making a mane;
The tane unto the t’ other say,
“Where sall we gang and dine to-day?”
“In behint yon auld fail dyke,
5
I wot there lies a new slain knight;
And naebody kens that he lies there,
But his hawk, his hound, and lady fair.
“His hound is to the hunting gane,
His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame,
10
His lady’s ta’en another mate,
So we may mak our dinner sweet.
“Ye’ll sit on his white hause-bane,
And I’ll pike out his bonny blue een;
Wi ae lock o his gowden hair
15
We’ll theek our nest when it grows bare.
“Mony a one for him makes mane,
But nane sall ken where he is gane;
Oer his white banes when they are bare,
The wind sall blaw for evermair.”
20
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Traditional Ballads
THE KING sits in Dumferling toune,
Drinking the blude-reid wine:
“O whar will I get guid sailor,
To sail this schip of mine?”
Up and spak an eldern knicht,
5
Sat at the kings richt kne:
“Sir Patrick Spence is the best sailor
That sails upon the se.”
The king has written a braid letter,
And signd it wi his hand,
10
And sent it to Sir Patrick Spence,
Was walking on the sand.
The first line that Sir Patrick red,
A loud lauch lauched he;
The next line that Sir Patrick red,
15
The teir blinded his ee.
“O wha is this has don this deid,
This ill died don to me,
To send me out this time o’ the yeir,
To sail upon the se!
20
“Mak haste, mak haste, my mirry men all,
Our guid schip sails the morne:”
“O say na sae, my master deir,
For I feir a deadlie storme.
“Late late yestreen I saw the new moone,
25
Wi the auld moone in her arme,
And I feir, I feir, my deir master,
That we will cum to harme.”
O our Scots nobles wer richt laith
To weet their cork-heild schoone;
30
Bot lang owre a’ the play wer play’d,
Thair hats they swam aboone.
O lang, lang may their ladies sit,
Wi thair fans into their hand,
Or eir they se Sir Patrick Spence
35
Cum sailing to the land.
O lang, lang may the ladies stand,
Wi thair gold kems in their hair,
Waiting for thair ain deir lords,
For they’ll se thame na mair.
40
Haf owre, half owre to Aberdour,
It’s fiftie fadom deip,
And thair lies guid Sir Patrick Spence,
Wi the Scots lords at his feit.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Thomas Rymer and the Queen of Elfland
Traditional Ballads
TRUE THOMAS lay oer yond grassy bank,
And he beheld a ladie gay,
A ladie that was brisk and bold,
Come riding oer the fernie brae.
Her skirt was of the grass-green silk,
5
Her mantel of the velvet fine,
At ilka tett of her horse’s mane
Hung fifty silver bells and nine.
True Thomas he took off his hat,
And bowed him low down till his knee:
10
“All hail, thou mighty Queen of Heaven!
For your peer on earth I never did see.”
“O no, O no, True Thomas,” she says,
“That name does not belong to me;
I am but the queen of fair Elfland,
15
And I’m come here for to visit thee.
“But ye maun go wi me now, Thomas,
True Thomas, ye maun go wi me,
For ye maun serve me seven years,
Thro weel or wae as may chance to be.”
20
She turned about her milk-white steed,
And took True Thomas up behind,
And aye wheneer her bridle rang,
The steed flew swifter than the wind.
For forty days and forty nights
25
He wade thro red blude to the knee,
And he saw neither sun nor moon,
But heard the roaring of the sea.
O they rade on, and further on,
Until they came to a garden green:
30
“Light down, light down, ye ladie free,
Some of that fruit let me pull to thee.”
“O no, O no, True Thomas,” she says,
“That fruit maun not be touched by thee,
For a’ the plagues that are in hell
35
Light on the fruit of this countrie.
“But I have a loaf here in my lap,
Likewise a bottle of claret wine,
And now ere we go farther on,
We ‘ll rest a while, and ye may dine.”
40
When he had eaten and drunk his fill,
“Lay down your head upon my knee,”
The lady sayd, “ere we climb yon hill,
And I will show you fairlies three.
“O see not ye yon narrow road,
45
So thick beset wi thorns and briers?
That is the path of righteousness,
Tho after it but few enquires.
“And see not ye that braid braid road,
That lies across yon lillie leven ?
50
That is the path of wickedness,
Tho some call it the road to heaven.
“And see not ye that bonnie road,
Which winds about the fernie brae?
That is the road to fair Elfland,
55
Whe[re] you and I this night maun gae.
“But Thomas, ye maun hold your tongue,
Whatever you may hear or see,
For gin ae word you should chance to speak,
You will neer get back to your ain countrie.”
60
He has gotten a coat of the even cloth,
And a pair of shoes of velvet green,
And till seven years were past and gone
True Thomas on earth was never seen.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
Traditional Ballads
WHAN bells war rung, an mass was sung,
A wat a’ man to bed were gone,
Clark Sanders came to Margret’s window,
With mony a sad sigh and groan.
“Are ye sleeping, Margret,” he says,
5
“Or are ye waking, presentlie?
Give me my faith and trouthe again,
A wat, trew-love, I gied to thee.”
“Your faith and trouth ye’s never get,
Nor our trew love shall never twain,
10
Till ye come with me in my bower,
And kiss me both cheek and chin.”
“My mouth it is full cold, Margret,
It has the smell now of the ground;
And if I kiss thy comely mouth,
15
Thy life-days will not be long.
“Cocks are crowing a merry mid-larf,
I wat the wild fule boded day;
Gie me my faith and trouthe again,
And let me fare me on my way.”
20
“Thy faith and trouth thou shall na get,
Nor our trew love shall never twin,
Till ye tell me what comes of women
A wat that dy’s in strong travelling.”
“Their beds are made in the heavens high,
25
Down at the foot of our good Lord’s knee,
Well set about wi gilly-flowers,
A wat sweet company for to see.
“O cocks are crowing a merry midd-larf,
A wat the wilde foule boded day;
30
The salms of Heaven will be sung,
And ere now I’le be misst away.”
Up she has tain a bright long wand,
And she has straked her trouth thereon;
She has given (it) him out at the shot-window,
35
Wi many a sad sigh and heavy groan.
“I thank you, Margret, I thank you, Margret,
And I thank you hartilie;
Gine ever the dead come for the quick,
Be sure, Margret, I’ll come again for thee.”
40
It’s hose an shoon and gound alane
She clame the wall and followed him,
Until she came to a green forest,
On this she lost the sight of him.
“Is there any room at your head, Sanders?
45
Is there any room at your feet?
Or any room at your twa sides?
Whare fain, fain woud I sleep.”
“Their is na room at my head, Margret,
Their is na room at my feet;
50
There is room at my twa sides,
For ladys for to sleep.
“Cold meal is my covering owre,
But an my winding sheet;
My bed it is full low, I say,
55
Down among the hongerey worms I sleep.
“Cold meal is my covering owre,
But an my winding sheet;
The dew it falls na sooner down
Then ay it is full weet.”
60
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
