| |
| NIGHT, they say, is no man’s friend: | |
| And at night he met his end | |
| In the woods of Trebizend. | |
| |
| Hate crouched near him as he strode | |
| Down the darkness of the road, | 5 |
| Where my lord seemed some huge toad. | |
| |
| Eyes of murder glared and burned | |
| At each bend of road he turned, | |
| Or where wild the torrent churned. | |
| |
| And with Death we stood and stared | 10 |
| From the bush as by he fared; | |
| But he never looked or cared. | |
| |
| He went singing; and a rose | |
| Lay upon his heart’s repose | |
| With what thoughts of her—who knows? | 15 |
| |
| He had done no other wrong | |
| But to sing a simple song— | |
| “I have loved you, loved you long.” | |
| |
| And my lady smiled and sighed; | |
| Gave a rose and looked moist-eyed, | 20 |
| And forgot she was a bride. | |
| |
| And my lord saw; gave commands. | |
| I was of his robber bands: | |
| Love should perish at our hands. | |
| |
| Young the knight was. He should sing | 25 |
| Nevermore of love and spring, | |
| Or of any gentle thing. | |
| |
| When he stole at midnight’s hour | |
| To my lady’s forest bower, | |
| We were hidden near the tower. | 30 |
| |
| In the woods of Trebizend | |
| There he met an evil end: | |
| Night, you know, is no man’s friend. | |
| |
| He had fought in fort and field; | |
| Borne for years a stainless shield, | 35 |
| And in strength to none would yield. | |
| |
| But we seized him unaware; | |
| Bound and hung and stripped him bare; | |
| Left him to the wild boars there. | |
| |
| Never has my lady known. | 40 |
| But she often sits alone, | |
| Weeping when my lord is gone. | |
| |
| Night, they say, is no man’s friend: | |
| In the woods of Trebizend | |
| There he met an evil end. | 45 |
| |
| Now my old lord sleeps in peace, | |
| While my lady—each one sees— | |
| Waits, and keeps her memories. | |
| |
