Sir Harold.
A day of strife hath fled ;1
The azure mantle of Twilight falls ;2
The field is strewed with dead ;3
But the cross is planted on Salem’s walls !4
In vain the Sultan cried,5
’Mid the boiling fight, for the prophet’s aid ;6
And on, with swords allied,7
Rushed the hosts of the Christian undismayed !8
He laid him down to die,9
At the foot of an aloes, a wounded knight,10
Beneath the chilly sky,11
And the fading traces of western light :—12
With desolating force,13
The night-wind moaned ’mid the forest gloom ;14
And, in its sweeping course,15
Uplifted the depth of his raven plume.16
In garb of green, a page,17
Alone, o’er his dying master hung,18
His anguish to assuage,19
And cool the thirst of his burning tongue ;20
The frequent falling tear21
He dashed in vain from his eyes of blue ;22
As the knight, he loved so dear,23
His painful breathing aye shorter drew !24
Said the knight, “ When war is done,25
And to Europe the vessels retrace the sea,26
Then bear this pledge to one—27
The only one that may weep for me !28
Oh ! tell, that, as I sighed,29
This broken pledge to my heart was pressed ;30
Oh ! tell, that ere I died,31
I hung o’er her magic name, and blessed !”32
“ Pardon,” exclaimed the page—33
“ If love will pardon to love allow ;34
Ella of Hermitage35
Forsook her kin, to be with thee now !—36
He turns his dying eyes,37
Sir Harold, and gazes on that sweet face ;—38
To speak in vain he tries,39
Then sank like lead in a last embrace !40
She pressed her cheek to his,41
To his as cold as the marble stone ;42
And with one long, long kiss,43
Her heart had broke, and her spirit was flown !44
In the shade of the aloes tree,45
In death united, the lovers lay ;46
And many a tear fell free,47
O’er their graves, at the dawn of day ;48
And lovely o’er the tomb,49
Where, side by side, these lovers repose,50
Commingling their perfume,51
A rose of England and Sharon grows ;52
And, on the boughs above,53
When fades in the west the parting light,54
The dirge of faithful love55
A bulbul hymns to the ear of Night.56