FROZEN HEART
Thick fell the snow upon St. George's day; The little birds all left their cloudy bed; The maiden wander'd bare-foot on her way; Her brother bore her sandals, and he said: "O sister mine! cold, cold thy feet must be." "No! not my feet, sweet brother! not my feet— But my poor heart is cold with misery. There's nought to chill me in the snowy sleet My mother—tis my mother who hath chill'd me, Bound me to one who with disgust hath fill'd me." S. J. B.
LXXXV
UNION IN DEATH
Fondly lov'd a youth and youthful maiden, And they wash'd them in the self-same water, And they dried them with the self-same linen Full a year had pass'd, and no one knew it Yet another year—'twas all discover'd, And the father heard it, and the mother; But the mother check'd their growing fondness, Banish'd love, and exiled them for ever.
To the stars he look'd, and bade them tell her: "Die, sweet maiden! on the week's last even; Early will I die on Sabbath morning."
As the stars foretold the event, it happen'd; On the eve of Saturday the maiden Died—and died the youth on Sunday morning: And they were, fond pair, together buried; And their hands were intertwined together: In those hands they placed the greenest apples; When behold! ere many moons had shone there, From the grave sprung up a verdant pine-tree, And a fragrant crimson rose-tree follow'd: Round the pine the rose-tree fondly twined it, As around the straw the silk clings closely. S. J. B.
LXXXVI
LOVE AND SLEEP[[30]]
I walkt the high and hollow wood, from dawn to even-dew, The wild-eyed wood stared at me, and unclaspt, and let me through, Where mountain pines, like great black birds, stood percht against the blue.