Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) (190 page)

BOOK: Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50)
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Hunting Song

 

Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832)

 

WAKEN, lords and ladies gay,
On the mountain dawns the day;
All the jolly chase is here
With hawk and horse and hunting-spear;
Hounds are in their couples yelling,
  
5
Hawks are whistling, horns are knelling,
Merrily merrily mingle they,
‘Waken, lords and ladies gay.’

 

Waken, lords and ladies gay,
The mist has left the mountain gray,
  
10
Springlets in the dawn are steaming,
Diamonds on the brake are gleaming;
And foresters have busy been
To track the buck in thicket green;
Now we come to chant our lay
  
15
‘Waken, lords and ladies gay.’

 

‘Waken, lords and ladies gay,
To the greenwood haste away;
We can show you where he lies,
Fleet of foot and tall of size;
  
20
We can show the marks he made
When ‘gainst the oak his antlers fray’d;
You shall see him brought to bay;
‘Waken, lords and ladies gay.’

 

Louder, louder chant the lay,
  
25
Waken, lords and ladies gay!
Tell them youth and mirth and glee
Run a course as well as we;
Time, stern huntsman! who can baulk,
Stanch as hound and fleet as hawk;
  
30
Think of this, and rise with day
Gentle lords and ladies gay!

 

List of Poems in Alphabetical Order

 

List of Poets in Alphabetical Order

 

Lochinvar

 

Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832)

 

OH! young Lochinvar is come out of the west,
Through all the wide Border his steed was the best;
And save his good broadsword he weapons had none.
He rode all unarmed and he rode all alone.
So faithful in love and so dauntless in war,
  
5
There never was knight like the young Lochinvar.

 

He stayed not for brake and he stopped not for stone,
He swam the Eske river where ford there was none,
But ere he alighted at Netherby gate
The bride had consented, the gallant came late:
  
10
For a laggard in love and a dastard in war
Was to wed the fair Ellen of brave Lochinvar.

 

So boldly he entered the Netherby Hall,
Among bridesmen, and kinsmen, and brothers, and all:
Then spoke the bride’s father, his hand on his sword, —
15
For the poor craven bridegroom said never a word, —
‘Oh! come ye in peace here, or come ye in war,
Or to dance at our bridal, young Lord Lochinvar?’ —

 

‘I long wooed your daughter, my suit you denied;
Love swells like the Solway, but ebbs like its tide —
20
And now am I come, with this lost love of mine,
To lead but one measure, drink one cup of wine.
There are maidens in Scotland more lovely by far,
That would gladly be bride to the young Lochinvar.’

 

The bride kissed the goblet; the knight took it up,
  
25
He quaffed off the wine, and he threw down the cup,
She looked down to blush, and she looked up to sigh,
With a smile on her lips and a tear in her eye.
He took her soft hand ere her mother could bar, —
‘Now tread we a measure!’ said young Lochinvar.
  
30

 

So stately his form, and so lovely her face,
That never a hall such a galliard did grace;
While her mother did fret, and her father did fume,
And the bridegroom stood dangling his bonnet and plume;
And the bride-maidens whispered ‘‘Twere better by far
  
35
To have matched our fair cousin with young Lochinvar.’

 

One touch to her hand and one word in her ear,
When they reached the hall-door, and the charger stood near;
So light to the croupe the fair lady he swung,
So light to the saddle before her he sprung!
  
40
‘She is won! we are gone, over bank, bush, and scaur;
They’ll have fleet steeds that follow,’ quoth young Lochinvar.

 

There was mounting ‘mong Graemes of the Netherby clan;
Fosters, Fenwicks, and Musgraves, they rode and they ran:
There was racing and chasing on Cannobie Lee,
  
45
But the lost bride of Netherby ne’er did they see.
So daring in love and so dauntless in war,
Have ye e’er heard of gallant like young Lochinvar?

 

List of Poems in Alphabetical Order

 

List of Poets in Alphabetical Order

 

Bonny Dundee

 

Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832)

 

TO the Lords of Convention ’twas Claver’se who spoke.
‘Ere the King’s crown shall fall there are crowns to be broke;
So let each Cavalier who loves honour and me,
Come follow the bonnet of Bonny Dundee.
 
Come fill up my cup, come fill up my can,
  
5
 
Come saddle your horses, and call up your men;
 
Come open the West Port and let me gang free,
 
And it’s room for the bonnets of Bonny Dundee!’

 

Dundee he is mounted, he rides up the street,
The bells are rung backward, the drums they are beat;
  
10
But the Provost, douce man, said, ‘Just e’en let him be,
The Gude Town is weel quit of that Deil of Dundee.’
 
Come fill up my cup,
etc.

 

As he rode down the sanctified bends of the Bow,
Ilk carline was flyting and shaking her pow;
  
15
But the young plants of grace they looked couthie and slee,
Thinking luck to thy bonnet, thou Bonny Dundee!
 
Come fill up my cup,
etc.

 

With sour-featured Whigs the Grass-market was crammed,
As if half the West had set tryst to be hanged;
  
20
There was spite in each look, there was fear in each e’e,
As they watched for the bonnets of Bonny Dundee.
 
Come fill up my cup,
etc.

 

These cowls of Kilmarnock had spits and had spears,
And lang-hafted gullies to kill cavaliers;
  
25
But they shrunk to close-heads and the causeway was free,
At the toss of the bonnet of Bonny Dundee.
 
Come fill up my cup,
etc.

 

He spurred to the foot of the proud Castle rock,
And with the gay Gordon he gallantly spoke;
  
30
‘Let Mons Meg and her marrows speak twa words or three,
For the love of the bonnet of Bonny Dundee.’
 
Come fill up my cup,
etc.

 

The Gordon demands of him which way he goes —
‘Where’er shall direct me the shade of Montrose!
  
35
Your Grace in short space shall hear tidings of me,
Or that low lies the bonnet of Bonny Dundee.
 
Come fill up my cup,
etc.

 

‘There are hills beyond Pentland and lands beyond Forth,
If there’s lords in the Lowlands, there’s chiefs in the North;
  
40
There are wild Duniewassals three thousand times three,
Will
cry hoigh!
for the bonnet of Bonny Dundee.
 
Come fill up my cup,
etc.

 

‘There’s brass on the target of barkened bull-hide;
There’s steel in the scabbard that dangles beside;
  
45
The brass shall be burnished, the steel shall flash free,
At the toss of the bonnet of Bonny Dundee.
 
Come fill up my cup,
etc.

 

‘Away to the hills, to the caves, to the rocks —
Ere I own an usurper, I’ll couch with the fox;
  
50
And tremble, false Whigs, in the midst of your glee,
You have not seen the last of my bonnet and me!’
 
Come fill up my cup,
etc.

 

He waved his proud hand, the trumpets were blown,
The kettle-drums clashed and the horsemen rode on,
  
55
Till on Ravelston’s cliffs and on Clermiston’s lee
Died away the wild war-notes of Bonny Dundee.
 
Come fill up my cup, come fill up my can,
 
Come saddle the horses, and call up the men,
 
Come open your gates, and let me gae free,
  
60
 
For it’s up with the bonnets of Bonny Dundee!

 

List of Poems in Alphabetical Order

 

List of Poets in Alphabetical Order

 

Datur Hora Quieti

 

Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832)

 

THE SUN upon the lake is low,
 
The wild birds hush their song,
The hills have evening’s deepest glow,
 
Yet Leonard tarries long.
Now all whom varied toil and care
  
5
 
From home and love divide,
In the calm sunset may repair
 
Each to the loved one’s side.

 

The noble dame, on turret high,
 
Who waits her gallant knight,
  
10
Looks to the western beam to spy
 
The flash of armour bright.
The village maid, with hand on brow
 
The level ray to shade,
Upon the footpath watches now
  
15
 
For Colin’s darkening plaid.

 

Now to their mates the wild swans row,
 
By day they swam apart,
And to the thicket wanders slow
 
The hind beside the hart.
  
20
The woodlark at his partner’s side
 
Twitters his closing song —
All meet whom day and care divide,
 
But Leonard tarries long!

 

List of Poems in Alphabetical Order

 

List of Poets in Alphabetical Order

 

Here’s a Health to King Charles

 

Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832)

 

BRING the bowl which you boast,
 
Fill it up to the brim;
’Tis to him we love most,
 
And to all who love him.
Brave gallants, stand up,
  
5
 
And avaunt ye, base carles!
Were there death in the cup,
 
Here’s a health to King Charles.

 

Though he wanders through dangers,
 
Unaided, unknown,
  
10
Dependent on strangers,
 
Estranged from his own;
Though ’tis under our breath,
 
Amidst forfeits and perils,
Here’s to honor and faith,
  
15
 
And a health to King Charles!

 

Let such honors abound
 
As the time can afford,
The knee on the ground,
 
And the hand on the sword;
  
20
But the time shall come round
 
When, ‘mid Lords, Dukes, and Earls,
The loud trumpet shall sound,
 
Here’s a health to King Charles!

 

List of Poems in Alphabetical Order

 

List of Poets in Alphabetical Order

 

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