Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Charms of melody, or, Siren medley

l8o BALLADS ancient and modern, LEGENDARIES, ^c.
A blithfome kniglit came riding by.
And as ihe bright moon fhone,
He faw her on the green turf lie.
And heard her piteous moan ;
For loud fhe cry'd, " Oh ftay my love,
" My true-love, ftay for me ;
" Stay till I've deck'd my bridal bed,
" And I will follow thee."
" Oh fay," he cry'd, " fair maiden, fay,
" What caufe doth work thy woe,
" That on a cold grave thou dofl lay,
" And faft thy tears o'erflow."
*' Oh I I have caufe to weep for woe,
" For my true-love is dead ; '
" And thus, while faft my tears o'erfloW,
" I deck my bridal bed."
" Be calm, fair maid," the 'knight reply'd,
" Thou art too young to di,e ;
" But go with me, and be my bride,
" And leave the old to figh" —
But ftill fhe cry'd, " Oh ftay, my love,
" My true-love ftay for me ;
" Stay till I'v deckt my bridal bed,
" And I will follow thee."
« Oh leave," he cry'd, " this grief fo cold,
" And leave this dread defpair,
" And thou fhalt flaunt :in robes of gold,
" A lady rich and fair :
" Thou Ihalt have halls and caftles fair ;
" And when, fweet maid, we wed,
"Oh thou flialt have much coftly gear,
" To deck thy bridaLbed."
" Oh hold thy peace, thou cruel knight,
" Nor urge me to defpair ;
"' With thee my troth I will not plight,
" For all thy proffers fair :
" But I will die with my true-love—
"My true-love ftay for me ;
" Stay till I've deck'd. my bridal bed,
" And I will follow thee.
" Thy halls and caftles I defpife,
" This turf is all I crave;
" For all my hopes, and all my joys,
" Lie buried in this grave :
" I want not gold, nor coftly gear;
" Now my true-love is dead ;
" The fading flow'r and fcalding tear
" Shall deck my bridal bed."
" Ph ! be my bride, thou weeping fair,
" Oh ! be my bride, I pray ;
*' And I will'build a tomb raoft rare,
" Where thy true-love fhall lay :"
But ftill with tears, fhq cry'd, " my love,
" My true-love, ftay for me;
" Stay till I've deck'd my bridal bed,
" And I will follovv thee.
" My love needs not a tomb fo rare,
" In a green grave we'll lie ;
•" Our carved works — thefe flow'rets fair
" Our canopy — the fky.
" Now go, fir knight,, ivow go thy ways— -
" Full foon I fhall be dead' —
•" And then return, in fome few days,
" And deck my bridal bed.
" And ftrew the flow'r, and pluck the thorn.
" And cleanfe the turf, I pray;
" So may fome hand thy turf adorn,
" When thou in grave fhalt lay.
" But ftay, oh thou whom dear I love.
" My true-love, flay for me ;
"Stay till I've de.clc'd my bridal beci, -
" And I will follow thee."
"No, maid, I will not go my way*,
" Nor leave thee here alone ;
" Nor while defpair upon thee preys,
" Neglecft thy woeful moan :
' " But I will ftay and ihare thy woe,
" My tears with thine I'll flied;
" And help to pluck the flow'r, and ftrew
" O'er thy fad bridal bed."
Now from the church came forth the prieft.
His midnight chaunt was done.
And much the haplefs maid he preft
To ceafe her piteous moan :
For ftill fhe cry'd, " Oh ftay my love,
" My true-love, ftay for me ;
"' Stay till I've deck'd mj bridal bed,
" And I will follow thee."
" Oh ! kneel with me," he cry'd, " dear maid,
" Oh ! kneel in holy prayer;
" Haply, kind heaven may fend thee aid,
" And Iboth thy dread defpair."
" I blame not heav'n," the maid reply'd,
" But mourn my true-love dead ;
'• And on his green grave I will 'bide,
" For 'lis my bridal bed." '
The haplefs maid knelt down, forfear
That holy prieft fhould blame ;
But ftill with every hallow 'd prayer.
She figh'd her true-love's name;
And foftly cry'd, " Oh ftay, my love,
"i4ly true-love, flay for me ;
" Stay till I've deck'd my bridal bed,
" And I will follow thee."
" Enough, enough, thou foreTtry'd dear I"
The weeping knight exclaim'd ;
■" Enough I've try'd thee, maichlefs fair,
" And be the tryal blam'd :
" I am thy love, thy own true-love,
" And I am come to v/ed ;
" Nor fhall this turf thy green grave prove,
" Nor be thy bridal bed.
" I am a knight of noble name,
" And thou of low degree ;
" So like a (hepherd poor I came,
" To prove thy conftancy."
But fhe, wiih woe forlorn, ftill cry'd,
" My true-love, ftay for me ;
" Stay till I've deck'd m.y bridal bed,
" And I will follow thee."
Again, " enough, thou fove-try'd maid I"
The knight in tears exclaim'd ;
" See at thy feet thy true-love laid,
" Of all his guile afl^am'd.
" Forgive me, maid — my love now prove —
" And let us inftant wed ;
" And thou with tears ol joy, mjr love,
"Shalt deck thy'tridal bed."
" And art- thou him r" exclaim'd the maid,
" And doft thou live ?" fhe cry'd :
" Too cruel love !" — fine faintly fay'd— -
Then wrung his hand — and dy'd —
■ " Stay," cry'd the knight, all woe-begone,
" Now ftay, my love, for me ;
- " Stay till I've deck'd our bridal bed,
" And I will follow thee."
In vain the prieft, with holy lore,
By turns did footh and chide ;
The knight, diftraiffed, wept full fore,
And on the green turf dy'd —
And underneath (mny heav'n them fave \^
The lovers both v\ere laid ;
- And thus, in truth, the green- Uift graia;
Became their bridal %cd.
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