BALLAD.THE QUEEN OF THE SEA.
The young Prince is swimming his steed in the sea;He heareth a voice: “Oh, Prince, look upon me!”Loud snorteth the steed as he pricks up his ears;He splashes the foam as he plunges and rears.Again hears the Prince: “A king’s daughter I be;Art thou willing to pass the whole evening with me?”Behold, from the water a white hand extends,And catches the reins by their silk tassel-ends.To the white hand a young face there quickly succeeds;In her locks are entangled the twisted seaweeds.Her blue eyes are gleaming with love’s wild delight;On her bosom the foam-drops like pearls sparkle bright.Then thinketh the Prince, “You must stay, lady fair;”And adroitly he windeth his hand in her hair.He has caught her. The hand of the warrior’s strong;She weeps and she prays as they struggle along.The Prince to the shore swimmeth on in his pride;He lands, and loud calls he his friends to his side.“Ho! come, my brave comrades, and look at my prey.Behold how she struggles! She’ll ne’er get away.“Why stand ye a terrified group on the shore?Ye have ne’er seen a beauty like this one before.”Back glanceth the Prince, with delight, on his prize;But the proud look of triumph soon fades from his eyes.With a shudder he sees on the golden sand trailA fearsome sea-monster, with hideous green tail—A tail covered over with scales like a snake,Its quivering coils in death-agony shake.The foam from her forehead is pouring in streams,And the darkness of death from her closing eye gleams;Her pale hands are clutching the sands of the sea,And of purport unknown a reproach whispers she.Afar rides the Prince—deep in thought rideth he;For long years he’ll remember “the Queen of the Sea.”
The young Prince is swimming his steed in the sea;He heareth a voice: “Oh, Prince, look upon me!”Loud snorteth the steed as he pricks up his ears;He splashes the foam as he plunges and rears.Again hears the Prince: “A king’s daughter I be;Art thou willing to pass the whole evening with me?”Behold, from the water a white hand extends,And catches the reins by their silk tassel-ends.To the white hand a young face there quickly succeeds;In her locks are entangled the twisted seaweeds.Her blue eyes are gleaming with love’s wild delight;On her bosom the foam-drops like pearls sparkle bright.Then thinketh the Prince, “You must stay, lady fair;”And adroitly he windeth his hand in her hair.He has caught her. The hand of the warrior’s strong;She weeps and she prays as they struggle along.The Prince to the shore swimmeth on in his pride;He lands, and loud calls he his friends to his side.“Ho! come, my brave comrades, and look at my prey.Behold how she struggles! She’ll ne’er get away.“Why stand ye a terrified group on the shore?Ye have ne’er seen a beauty like this one before.”Back glanceth the Prince, with delight, on his prize;But the proud look of triumph soon fades from his eyes.With a shudder he sees on the golden sand trailA fearsome sea-monster, with hideous green tail—A tail covered over with scales like a snake,Its quivering coils in death-agony shake.The foam from her forehead is pouring in streams,And the darkness of death from her closing eye gleams;Her pale hands are clutching the sands of the sea,And of purport unknown a reproach whispers she.Afar rides the Prince—deep in thought rideth he;For long years he’ll remember “the Queen of the Sea.”
The young Prince is swimming his steed in the sea;He heareth a voice: “Oh, Prince, look upon me!”
The young Prince is swimming his steed in the sea;
He heareth a voice: “Oh, Prince, look upon me!”
Loud snorteth the steed as he pricks up his ears;He splashes the foam as he plunges and rears.
Loud snorteth the steed as he pricks up his ears;
He splashes the foam as he plunges and rears.
Again hears the Prince: “A king’s daughter I be;Art thou willing to pass the whole evening with me?”
Again hears the Prince: “A king’s daughter I be;
Art thou willing to pass the whole evening with me?”
Behold, from the water a white hand extends,And catches the reins by their silk tassel-ends.
Behold, from the water a white hand extends,
And catches the reins by their silk tassel-ends.
To the white hand a young face there quickly succeeds;In her locks are entangled the twisted seaweeds.
To the white hand a young face there quickly succeeds;
In her locks are entangled the twisted seaweeds.
Her blue eyes are gleaming with love’s wild delight;On her bosom the foam-drops like pearls sparkle bright.
Her blue eyes are gleaming with love’s wild delight;
On her bosom the foam-drops like pearls sparkle bright.
Then thinketh the Prince, “You must stay, lady fair;”And adroitly he windeth his hand in her hair.
Then thinketh the Prince, “You must stay, lady fair;”
And adroitly he windeth his hand in her hair.
He has caught her. The hand of the warrior’s strong;She weeps and she prays as they struggle along.
He has caught her. The hand of the warrior’s strong;
She weeps and she prays as they struggle along.
The Prince to the shore swimmeth on in his pride;He lands, and loud calls he his friends to his side.
The Prince to the shore swimmeth on in his pride;
He lands, and loud calls he his friends to his side.
“Ho! come, my brave comrades, and look at my prey.Behold how she struggles! She’ll ne’er get away.
“Ho! come, my brave comrades, and look at my prey.
Behold how she struggles! She’ll ne’er get away.
“Why stand ye a terrified group on the shore?Ye have ne’er seen a beauty like this one before.”
“Why stand ye a terrified group on the shore?
Ye have ne’er seen a beauty like this one before.”
Back glanceth the Prince, with delight, on his prize;But the proud look of triumph soon fades from his eyes.
Back glanceth the Prince, with delight, on his prize;
But the proud look of triumph soon fades from his eyes.
With a shudder he sees on the golden sand trailA fearsome sea-monster, with hideous green tail—
With a shudder he sees on the golden sand trail
A fearsome sea-monster, with hideous green tail—
A tail covered over with scales like a snake,Its quivering coils in death-agony shake.
A tail covered over with scales like a snake,
Its quivering coils in death-agony shake.
The foam from her forehead is pouring in streams,And the darkness of death from her closing eye gleams;
The foam from her forehead is pouring in streams,
And the darkness of death from her closing eye gleams;
Her pale hands are clutching the sands of the sea,And of purport unknown a reproach whispers she.
Her pale hands are clutching the sands of the sea,
And of purport unknown a reproach whispers she.
Afar rides the Prince—deep in thought rideth he;For long years he’ll remember “the Queen of the Sea.”
Afar rides the Prince—deep in thought rideth he;
For long years he’ll remember “the Queen of the Sea.”