'Tis pleasant near the tranquil lake to stray1
Where, winding on along some secret bay, 2
The swan uplifts his chest, and backward flings
His neck, a varying arch, between his towering wings:
The eye that marks the gliding creature sees
How graceful pride can be, and how majestic, ease.3
While tender cares and mild domestic loves
With furtive watch pursue her as she moves,
The female with a meeker charm succeeds,
And her brown little-ones around her leads,
Nibbling the water lilies as they pass,
Or playing wanton with the floating grass.
She, in a mother's care, her beauty's pride
Forgetting, calls the wearied to her side; 4
I love beside the glowing lake to stray,
How pleasant near the tranquil lake to stray,
Where winds the road along the secret bay;
By rills that tumble down the woody steeps,
And run in transport to the dimpling deeps;
Along the "wild meand'ring plains" to view,
Obsequious Grace the winding swan pursue.
a secret bay;
And glorying looks around, the silent tides:
He swells his lifted chest, and backward flings
His bridling neck between his towering wings;
Stately, and burning in his pride, divides
As on he floats the silvered waters glow,
Proud of the varying arch and moveless form of snow.
She calls them near, and with affection sweet
Alternately relieves their weary feet;
*Alternately they mount her back, and rest Close by her mantling wings' embraces prest.
Long may they float upon this flood serene;
Theirs be these holms untrodden, still, and green,
Where leafy shades fence off the blustering gale,
And breathes in peace the lily of the vale!
Yon isle, which feels not even the milk-maid's feet,
Yet hears her song, "by distance made more sweet," 1
Yon isle conceals their home, their hut-like bower;
Green water-rushes overspread the floor; 2
Long grass and willows form the woven wall,
And swings above the roof the poplar tall.
Thence issuing often with unwieldy stalk,
They crush with broad black feet their flowery walk; 3
Long may ye roam these hermit waves that sleep,
In birch besprinkled cliffs embosomed deep;
These fairy holms untrodden, still, and green,
Whose shades protect the hidden wave serene;
Whence fragrance scents the water's desart gale,
The violet, and the† lily of the vale;
Where tho' her far-off twilight ditty steal,
They not the trip of harmless milkmaid feel.
Long may ye float upon these floods serene;
Yours be these holms untrodden, still, and green,
Whose leafy shades fence off the blustering gale,
Where breathes in peace the lily of the vale.
Yon tuft conceals your home, your cottage bower,
Fresh water-rushes strew the verdant floor;
Yon isle conceals your home,
Thence issuing oft, unwieldy as ye stalk,
Ye crush with broad black feet your flowery walk;
With broad black feet ye crush your flowery walk;
*This is a fact of which I have been an eye-witness. 1793.
+ The lily of the valley is found in great abundance in the smaller islands of Winandermere. 1793.
Or, from the neighbouring water, hear at morn1
The hound, the horses tread, and mellow horn;
Involve their serpent-necks in changeful rings,
Rolled wantonly between their slippery wings,
Or, starting up with noise and rude delight,
Force half upon the wave their cumbrous flight.2
Fair Swan! by all a mother's joys caressed,
Haply some wretch has eyed, and called thee blessed;
When with her infants, from some shady seat
By the lake's edge, she rose-to face the noon-tide heat;
Or taught their limbs along the dusty road
A few short steps to totter with their load.3
Safe from your door ye hear at breezy morn.
At peace inverted your lithe necks ye lave,
With the green bottom strewing o'er the wave;
No ruder sound your desart haunts invades,
Than waters dashing wild, or rocking shades.
Ye ne'er, like hapless human wanderers, throw
Your young on winter's winding sheet of snow.
Haply some wretch has eyed and called thee blessed,
Who faint, and beat by summer's breathless ray,
Hath dragged her babes along this weary way;
While arrowy fire extorting feverish groans,
Shot stinging through her stark o'er-laboured bones.
-With backward gaze, locked joints, and step of pain,
Her seat scarce left, she strives, alas! in vain,
To teach their limbs along the burning road
A few short steps to totter with their load,
Shakes her numb arm that slumbers with its weight,
And eyes through tears the mountain's shadeless height;
And bids her soldier come her woes to share,
Asleep on Minden's charnel plain afar;
For hopes deserted well why wistful look?
Choked is the pathway, and the pitcher broke.
The whilst upon some sultry summer's day
She dragged her babes along this weary way.
I see her now, denied to lay her head,
On cold blue nights, in hut or straw-built shed,
Turn to a silent smile their sleepy cry,
By pointing to the gliding moon on high.1
-2When low-hung clouds each star of summer hide,
And fireless are the vallies far and wide,
Where the brook brawls along the public road3
Dark with bat-haunted ashes stretching broad,+
Oft has she taught them on her lap to lay
The shining glow-worm; or, in heedless play,
Toss it from hand to hand, disquieted;
While others, not unseen, are free to shed
Green unmolested light upon their mossy bed.5
By pointing to a shooting star on high.
I hear while in the forest depths he sees,
The Moon's fixed gaze between the opening trees,
In broken sounds her elder grief demand,
And skyward lift, like one that prays, his hand,
If, in that country, where he dwells afar,
His father views that good, that kindly star;
-Ah me! all light is mute amid the gloom,
The interlunar cavern of the tomb.
In broken sounds her elder child demand,
Where the brook brawls along the painful road,
4 The distant clock forget, and chilling dew, Pleased through the dusk their breaking smiles to view.
Oft has she taught them on her lap to play
Delighted, with the glow-worm's harmless ray
Tossed light from hand to hand; while on the ground
Small circles of green radiance gleam around.
Oh! when the sleety showers her path assail,
And like a torrent roars the headstrong gale;1
No more her breath can thaw their fingers cold,
Their frozen arms her neck no more can fold; 2
Weak roof a cowering form two babes to shield,
And faint the fire a dying heart can yield!
Press the sad kiss, fond mother! vainly fears
Thy flooded cheek to wet them with its tears; 3
No tears can chill them, and no bosom warms,
Thy breast their death-bed, coffined in thine arms!
Sweet are the sounds that mingle from afar, Heard by calm lakes, as peeps the folding star, Where the duck dabbles 'mid the rustling sedge, And feeding pike starts from the water's edge, Or the swan stirs the reeds, his neck and bill Wetting, that drip upon the water still;
Oh! when the bitter showers her path assail,
And roars between the hills the torrent gale,
2 Scarce heard, their chattering lips her shoulders chill, And her cold back their colder bosoms thrill;
All blind she widers o'er the lightless heath,
Led by Fear's cold wet hand, and dogged by Death;
Death, as she turns her neck the kiss to seek,
Breaks off the dreadful kiss with angry shriek.
Snatched from her shoulder with despairing moan,
She clasps them at that dim-seen roofless stone.-
"Now ruthless Tempest launch thy deadliest dart!
Fall fires-but let us perish heart to heart."
Soon shall the Lightning hold before thy head
His torch, and show them slumbering in their bed.
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