English

Some fowls there be that have so perfect sight
Against the sun their eyes for to defend;
And some, because the light doth them offend,
Never appear but in the dark or night.
Other rejoice to see the fire so bright
And ween to play in it, as they pretend,
But find contrary of it they intend.
Alas, of that sort may I be by right.
For to withstand her look I am not able;
Yet can I not hide me in no dark place;
So followeth me remembrance of that face,
That with teary eye, swollen, and unstable,

My flowery and green age was passing away, and I feeling a chill in the fires had been wasting my heart, for I was drawing near the hillside above the grave.
Then my sweet enemy was making a start, little by little, to give over her
great wariness, the way she was wringing a sweet thing out of my sharp
sorrow. The time was coming when Love and Decency can keep company, and
Lovers may sit together and say out all things are in their hearts. But Death

A form stood by her in the night,
A human presence near her
Spoke one low word of pitying grace,
A name once uttered face to face,
When none was ever dearer —
Like oil upon the raging flame
That burned within her heart, it came,
That word of soft approving;
The first soft word that struck her ears,
Through all the long and dreary years,
Of human or of loving.

At once the barred gate opens wide,

THE BRIDAL .

The guests have met in the castle hall.
Who rides through the castle gate,
With banner and plume? The young bridegroom
And a hundred knights in state.

The guests have met in procession fair,
Around the bride they stand;
The myrtle wreath on her golden hair,
The bride ring on her hand.

So bright her beauty she dazed men's eyes,
Like the blinding, glorious sun.

THE SIN

'Neath the casement stood a Ritter,
Sings by night with sweetest tone.
" Thekla, dearest Thekla, listen,
Wilt thou be my bride, mine own?

" Castles have I, parks and forests,
Mountains veined with the red gold;
And a heart that pineth for thee,
With a wealth of love untold.

" I will deck my love in jewels,
Gold and peril on brow and hand,

THE TEMPTATION .

O N the green sward Thekla's lying,
Summer winds are round her sighing,
At her feet the ocean plays;
In that mirror idly gazing
She beholds, with inward praising,
Her own beauty in amaze.

And with winds and waves attuning
Her low voice, in soft communing
Said: " If truly I'm so fair,
Might the best in our Swedish land
Die all for love of my white hand,

Like a cobweb hung upon the tree
A prey to wind and sunlight!
Who will say that we are safe and strong?

Are the fallen stars
Returning up the sky?
The dews on the grass.

From " The Song of Roland. "

R OLAND gripped his horn with might and main,
Put it to his mouth and blew a great strain.
The hills were high and the sound was very plain,
Thirty leagues thence they heard the strain,
Charles heard it, and all his train.
" Our men are fighting, " said Charlemain.
And the Count Guenes answered him again,
" If another said that, we should think him insane. "
Ahoy.

Roland was broken by pain and outworn,

I.

Rise , winds of night! relentless tempests rise!
Rush from the troubled clouds, and o'er me roll;
In this chill pause a deeper horror lies,
A wilder fear appals my shudd'ring soul. —
'Twas on this day this hour accurst,
That Nature starting from repose
Heard the dire shrieks of murder burst —
From infant innocence they rose,