THE FAIRY BRIDE.
From the Recitation of a Collector of Ballads
of the Olden Time.
I.
Long, long ago in the mist of years,
Near the shores of a sunlit sea,
Hid in a nook of a forest old,
Rippled a burn in joyous glee,
Filling with crystal a basin clear,
Scooped from a bed of sparkling sand;
And there, on a moss-clad bank, there lay
The fairest maid of Fairyland.
Shading the water a birken tree
Arched its hoary branches above,
And the sun peep'd thro' the trembling leaves,[E]
Smiling upon their silent love.
The well ne'er heeded the prying eye,
Brighter it beamed upon the tree;
And glance for glance, as in years gone by,
Back it shadowed in love and lee.
The maid gazed long on that water clear,
Mirroring back the bending tree,
And longed for one in whose spirit-deeps,
Imaged as fondly she should be.
And, though she sighed, she tremblingly hoped,
For, looking still on that mirror fair,
Her blue eyes flashed with a brighter glance
At the figure reflected there.
As on the grass lay the fair, fair May,
Dreaming away the fleeting hours,
Her curls seemed rillets of burnished gold,
Stealing among the springing flowers.
For seldom yet has the summer's sun,
Smiling o'er earth's bright drapery green,
Lit lovelier locks or form more fair
Than this child of the Fairy Queen.
"Oh, sad is the fate," sighed Claribel,
"Of the maidens of Fairyland,
Who pine for the wedding-robes of love,
With the grasp of a wedding hand.
Oh, were I loved by some gentle knight,
Little I'd reck of royal birth;
Station and rank I would freely change
For that holiest joy of earth.
"No noble or knight of Elfinland
My dreaming fancy e'er shall move;
I'll seem a maiden of earth to be,
And light my life with stars of love.
I'll win me a lord of fame and worth,
Who'll love me fondly more and more;
While I learn him lear of Gramarye
He'll teach me all his earthly lore."[F]
The maiden rose from her couch of moss,
Circled around with a mystic sheen;
Such beauty, I trow, earth never saw,
Such grace no living man hath seen.
Enswathed in the light of endless bloom,
Her brow outpaling falling snow,
Her cheeks like the blushing damask rose,
Her lips with budding love aglow.
Round her she wrapped a cramosie cloak,
To hide her robes of sun-wove air;
A veil of the moonlit mist she donned,
To shade her face so passing fair.
Gliding along through the forest green,
Brushing the dew with hasty feet,
Smiling a hope on her parted lips,
Thinking of him she longed to meet.
II.
Proudly there stood by the rock-bound shore
A lordly home, with turrets gray;
But the knight afar in Paynim land
Had been many a year away.
Merrily dashed the sea-driven foam
High on the lofty castle wall;
But the henchmen moved them drowsily,
For lone, alas! were bower and hall.
'Twas the hour when wearied daylight sinks
In the arms of the waiting west,
And gloaming steals from her purple cave,
Bearing her lone star on her breast.
When the glades like minster windows gleam
With slanting rays of burnished gold,
And stealing shadows, in fond embrace,
Are creeping the forest to fold.
Through the dim and faint-lit forest aisles,
Flitting among the grey old trees,
The maiden sped on, each weary sigh
Mingling with the evening breeze.
"Oh, would he were come—the gallant Hay,
Quickly the night begins to fall;
Oh, would that his manly heart were mine,
And my home were his castle hall."
Brighter anon flashed her bright blue eye,
Rosier blushed her cheeks, I ween,
As, breathless, she heard a war-horse tramp
Through the glade of the forest green.
Then quickly came forth a youthful knight,
Straining his eyes that home to see,
He'd longed for many a watchful hour
By the waters of Galilee.
Suddenly halted the courteous knight,
Bright the glance of his martial eye
Flashed in the light of his manhood's bloom
'Neath the plume of his morion high.
Marvelled he much as the evening rays
Fell on a maid so wondrous rare;
"Art thou a form from the beauty world
Or the fairest of earthly fair?"
"List, warrior, list," the fair maid said;
"Pray thee list a lady's behest.
I've wandered far and lost my way,
And am wearied and fain would rest."
Full lowly he bent his waving plume,
Till it mixed with his horse's mane,
"Where is thy home, dear lady, I ask?
Let me carry thee thither again."
"Knowest thou, brave knight, where the elfin halls
Gleam under skies of purple light,
With their towering domes of chaste opal
Glowing in clouds of crimson bright;
With their waving trees of rarest kind,
Soft'ning sunlight cheering the gloom,
Catching the rays as they hasten by,
Wreathing their tops with golden bloom.
"Last eve, with my maids, I left my home,
Singing our songs in gay refrain;
Seeking wild flowers, I wandered alone
Over hill, over dale, and plain.
Laughingly trod we the dewy mead,
Lit by the rays of the evening star;
But sadly I've spent the weary day,
For, ah me! I have wandered far.'
"I know not thy home," the young knight said,
"Else in honour I'd bear thee there;
Tho' never below the glorious sky
Have I seen one so passing fair.
Much have I mingled in court and camp,
In revel, in tourney and strife,
But never, till now, have mine eyes beheld
A maid I could love as my wife."
Quickly the warrior lighted him down—
"Lady," he said, "my halls are near;
Come to my arms—I'll carry thee home,
And ye shall be my peerless fere."
"Gramercy, my lord," the maiden said;
"Willingly shall I go with thee;
And I'll be to thee a leal, true wife—
Thou shalt be 'all the world to me.'"
Around her form his arms he flung,
To kiss her lips so cherry bright,
But nothing he held, for the sylph-like form
Ethereal prov'd as a stream of light.
"Lady," he said, "this is passing strange!
Thour't there!—I see thy curls of gold,
I see the flash of thy lustrous eyes,
But I cannot thy form enfold."
"My form is of air, so virgin pure
By mortal it cannot be press'd
Till by the cross of his sword he swear
Alone I shall dwell in his breast."
Then he bent him low before the cross,
And he vowed, by all he held dear,
That ever he'd prove her own true lord,
And only she his much loved fere.
"Now, come to my arms, thou beauteous fair,"
And he grasped her fondly and fast,
Kissing her lips, grown woman again,
Fearing his joy too great to last.
"I'm thine, only thine, mine own dear lord,
Never again to roam apart;
Oh! let me nestle within thine arms,
Let me live in thine inmost heart."
He lifted her on the saddle-bow
Of his gallant roan, standing near,
And proudly it shook its stately head
As her voice fell soft on its ear.
In triumph it bore them fleetly home;
And the liegemen for years could tell
How the old halls rung with "welcomes home"
To Lord Hay and fair Claribel.
Revelry rang in that castle old,
And oft they pledged him deep and free;
And much they talked of his prowess bold,
And his truth and his braverie.
But more they spoke of his fair, fair bride,
And her beauty so wondrous bright;
Lighting his halls like the sun's first rays
Dispersing the shadows of night.
Long, long did they mourn in Fairyland
For the Princess, dear Claribel;
Long was she missed in revel and court,
In palace and bower and dell.
But oft, when hidden among the flowers,
Watching the lovers in dalliance gay,
The fairy maidens would whisper low,
"Would we were but as Lady Hay!"