But now the dream is wholly o'er, And wander through the world once more, Two locks, and they are wondrous fair,- The brown is from the mother's hair, And when I see that lock of gold, SONG OF THE SILENT LAND. FROM THE GERMAN OF SALIS. INTO the Silent Land! Ah! who shall lead us thither? Clouds in the evening sky more darkly gather, And shattered wrecks lie thicker on the strand. Who leads us with a gentle hand Thither, oh, thither, Into the Silent Land? Into the Silent Land! To you, ye boundless regions Of all perfection! Tender morning-visions Shall bear hope's tender blossoms O Land O Land! For all the broken-hearted The mildest herald by our fate allotted, To lead us with a gentle hand Into the land of the great departed, THE LUCK OF EDENHALL. FROM THE GERMAN OF UHLAND. [THE tradition upon which this ballad is founded, and the "shards of the Luck of Edenhall," still exist in England. The goblet is in the possession of Sir Christopher Musgrave, Bart., of Eden Hall, Cumberland; and is not so entirely shattered as the ballad leaves it.] OF Edenhall the youthful lord Bids sound the festal trumpet's call ; The butler hears the words with pain, Then said the lord, "This glass to praise, The gray-beard with tremoling hand obeys; It beams from the Luck of Edenhall. Then speaks the lord, and waves it light, ""Twas right a goblet the fate should be Deep draughts drink we right willingly ; "First rings it deep, and full, and mild, "For its keeper takes a race of might, The fragile goblet of crystal tall ; It has lasted longer than is right; Kling! klang!—with a harder blow than all As the goblet ringing flies apart, And through the rift the wild flames start; In storms the foe, with fire and sword; On the morrow the butler gropes alone, The shards of the Luck of Edenhall. "The stone wall," saith he, "doth all aside, THE ELECTED KNIGHT. FROM THE DANISH. [THE following strange and somewhat mystical ballad is from Nyerup and Rahbek's Danske Viser of the middle ages. It seems to refer to the first preaching of Christianity in the north, and to the institution of knighterrantry. The three maidens I suppose to be Faith, Hope, and Charity. The irregularities of the original have been carefully preserved in the translation.] SIR OLUF he rideth over the plain, Full seven miles broad and seven miles wide, He saw under the hill side A knight full well equipped; His steed was black, his helm was barred; He wore upon his spurs Twelve little golden birds; Anon he spurred his steed with a clang, He wore upon his mail Twelve little golden wheels; Anon in eddies the wild wind blew, And round and round the wheels they flew. He wore before his breast A lance that was poised in rest; He wore upon his helm A wreath of ruddy gold; And that gave him the Maidens Three, The youngest was fair to behold. Sir Oluf questioned the knight eftsoon "I am not Christ the great, Thou shalt not yield thee yet; Three modest maidens have me bedight." "Art thou a knight elected, And have three maidens thee bedight? The first tilt they together rode, They put their steeds to the test; The third tilt they together rode, Now lie the lords upon the plain, And their blood runs unto death; THE HEMLOCK TREE. FROM THE GERMAN. O HEMLOCK tree! O hemlock tree! how faithful are thy branches! Green not alone in summer time, But in the winter's frost and rime! O hemlock tree! O hemlock tree! how faithful are thy branches! |