Part 34

"Awake!" she cried, "thy true love calls, Come from her midnight grave; Now let thy pity hear the maid Thy love refused to save.

"This is the dumb and dreary hour When injured ghosts complain; When yawning graves give up their dead To haunt the faithless swain.

"Bethink thee, William, of thy fault, Thy pledge and broken oath: And give me back my maiden vow, And give me back my troth.

"Why did you promise love to me, And not that promise keep? Why did you swear my eyes were bright, Yet leave those eyes to weep?

"How could you say my face was fair, And yet that face forsake? How could you win my virgin heart, Yet leave that heart to break?

"Why did you say my lip was sweet, And made the scarlet pale? And why did I, young witless maid! Believe the flattering tale?

"That face, alas! no more is fair; Those lips no longer red: Dark are my eyes, now closed in death, And every charm is fled.

"The hungry worm my sister is; This winding sheet I wear: And cold and weary lasts our night, Till that last morn appear.

"But hark! the cock has warned me hence; A long and late adieu! Come, see, false man, how low she lies, Who died for love of you."

The lark sung loud; the morning smiled, With beams of rosy red: Pale William quaked in every limb, And raving left his bed.

He hied him to the fatal place Where Margaret's body lay: And stretched him on the grass-green turf That wrapped her breathless clay.

And thrice he called on Margaret's name, And thrice he wept full sore: Then laid his cheek to her cold grave, And word spoke never more.

ELFINLAND WOOD.

Erl William has muntit his gude grai stede, (Merrie lemis munelicht on the sea,) And graithit him in ane cumli weid, (Swa bonilie blumis the hawthorn tree.)

Erl William rade, Erl William ran,-- (Fast they ryde quha luve trewlie,) Quhyll the Elfinland wud that gude Erl wan-- (Blink ower the burn, sweit may, to mee.)

Elfinland wud is dern and dreir, (Merrie is the grai gowkis sang,) But ilk ane leaf is quhyt as silver cleir, (Licht makis schoirt the road swa lang.)

It is undirnith ane braid aik tree, (Hey and a lo, as the leavis grow grein,) Thair is kythit ane bricht ladie, (Manie flouris blume quhilk ar nocht seen.)

Around hir slepis the quhyte muneschyne, (Meik is mayden undir kell,) Her lips bin lyke the blude reid wyne; (The rois of flouris hes sweitest smell.)

It was al bricht quhare that ladie stude, (Far my luve fure ower the sea.) Bot dern is the lave of Elfinland wud, (The knicht pruvit false that ance luvit me.)

The ladie's handis were quhyte als milk, (Ringis my luve wore mair nor ane.) Her skin was safter nor the silk; (Lilly bricht schinis my luvis halse bane.)

Save you, save you, fayr ladie, (Gentil hert schawis gentil deed.) Standand alane undir this auld tree; (Deir till knicht is nobil steid.)

Burdalane, if ye dwall here, (My hert is layed upon this land.) I wuld like to live your fere; (The schippis cum sailin to the strand.)

Nevir ane word that ladie sayd; (Schortest rede hes least to mend.) Bot on hir harp she evir playd; (Thare nevir was mirth that had nocht end.)

Gang ye eist, or fare ye wast, (Ilka stern blinkis blythe for thee,) Or tak ye the road that ye like best, (Al trew feeris ryde in cumpanie.)

Erl William loutit doun full lowe. (Luvis first seid bin courtesie.) And swung hir owir his saddil bow, (Ryde quha listis, ye'll link with mee.)

Scho flang her harp on that auld tree, (The wynd pruvis aye ane harpir gude.) And it gave out its music free; (Birdis sing blythe in gay green wud.)

The harp playde on its leeful lane, (Lang is my luvis yellow hair.) Quhill it has charmit stock and stane, (Furth by firth, deir lady fare.)

Quhan scho was muntit him behynd, (Blyth be hertis quhilkis luve ilk uthir,) Awa thai flew like flaucht of wind; (Kin kens kin, and bairnis thair mither.)