| |
| ACROSS the empty garden-beds, | |
| When the Sword went out to sea, | |
| I scarcely saw my sisters’ heads | |
| Bow’d each beside a tree. | |
| I could not see the castle leads, | 5 |
| When the Sword went out to sea. | |
| |
| Alicia wore a scarlet gown, | |
| When the Sword went out to sea, | |
| But Ursula’s was russet brown: | |
| For the mist we could not see | 10 |
| The scarlet roofs of the good town, | |
| When the Sword went out to sea. | |
| |
| Green holly in Alicia’s hand, | |
| When the Sword went out to sea, | |
| With sere oak-leaves did Ursula stand; | 15 |
| O! yet alas for me! | |
| I did but bear a peel’d white wand, | |
| When the Sword went out to sea. | |
| |
| O, russet brown and scarlet bright, | |
| When the Sword went out to sea, | 20 |
| My sisters wore; I wore but white; | |
| Red, brown, and white, are three; | |
| Three damozels; each had a knight, | |
| When the Sword went out to sea. | |
| |
| Sir Robert shouted loud, and said, | 25 |
| When the Sword went out to sea, | |
| ‘Alicia, while I see thy head, | |
| What shall I bring for thee?’ | |
| ‘O, my sweet Lord, a ruby red:’ | |
| The Sword went out to sea. | 30 |
| |
| Sir Miles said, while the sails hung down, | |
| When the Sword went out to sea, | |
| ‘Oh, Ursula! while I see the town, | |
| What shall I bring for thee?’ | |
| ‘Dear knight, bring back a falcon brown:’ | 35 |
| The Sword went out to sea. | |
| |
| But my Roland, no word he said | |
| When the Sword went out to sea; | |
| But only turn’d away his head,— | |
| A quick shriek came from me: | 40 |
| ‘Come back, dear lord, to your white maid!’— | |
| The Sword went out to sea. | |
| |
| The hot sun bit the garden-beds, | |
| When the Sword came back from sea; | |
| Beneath an apple-tree our heads | 45 |
| Stretch’d out toward the sea; | |
| Grey gleam’d the thirsty castle-leads, | |
| When the Sword came back from sea. | |
| |
| Lord Robert brought a ruby red, | |
| When the Sword came back from sea; | 50 |
| He kiss’d Alicia on the head: | |
| ‘I am come back to thee; | |
| ’Tis time, sweet love, that we were wed, | |
| Now the Sword is back from sea!’ | |
| |
| Sir Miles he bore a falcon brown, | 55 |
| When the Sword came back from sea; | |
| His arms went round tall Ursula’s gown,— | |
| ‘What joy, O love, but thee? | |
| Let us be wed in the good town, | |
| Now the Sword is back from sea!’ | 60 |
| |
| My heart grew sick, no more afraid, | |
| When the Sword came back from sea; | |
| Upon the deck a tall white maid | |
| Sat on Lord Roland’s knee; | |
| His chin was press’d upon her head, | 65 |
| When the Sword came back from sea! | |
| |
