The Early Poems of Alfred Lord Tennyson eBook

  She stood upon the castle wall, Oriana: 
  She watch’d my crest among them all, Oriana: 
  She saw me fight, she heard me call,
  When forth there stept a foeman tall, Oriana,
  Atween me and the castle wall, Oriana.

  The bitter arrow went aside, Oriana: 
  The false, false arrow went aside, Oriana: 
  The damned arrow glanced aside,
  And pierced thy heart, my love, my bride, Oriana! 
  Thy heart, my life, my love, my bride, Oriana!

  Oh! narrow, narrow was the space, Oriana. 
  Loud, loud rung out the bugle’s brays, Oriana. 
  Oh! deathful stabs were dealt apace,
  The battle deepen’d in its place, Oriana;
  But I was down upon my face, Oriana.

  They should have stabb’d me where I lay, Oriana! 
  How could I rise and come away, Oriana? 
  How could I look upon the day? 
  They should have stabb’d me where I lay, Oriana
  They should have trod me into clay, Oriana.

  O breaking heart that will not break, Oriana! 
  O pale, pale face so sweet and meek, Oriana! 
  Thou smilest, but thou dost not speak,
  And then the tears run down my cheek, Oriana: 
  What wantest thou? whom dost thou seek, Oriana?

  I cry aloud:  none hear my cries, Oriana. 
  Thou comest atween me and the skies, Oriana. 
  I feel the tears of blood arise
  Up from my heart unto my eyes, Oriana. 
  Within my heart my arrow lies, Oriana.

  O cursed hand!  O cursed blow!  Oriana! 
  O happy thou that liest low, Oriana! 
  All night the silence seems to flow
  Beside me in my utter woe, Oriana. 
  A weary, weary way I go, Oriana.

  When Norland winds pipe down the sea, Oriana,
  I walk, I dare not think of thee, Oriana. 
  Thou liest beneath the greenwood tree,
  I dare not die and come to thee, Oriana. 
  I hear the roaring of the sea, Oriana.

CIRCUMSTANCE

First published in 1830.

  Two children in two neighbour villages
  Playing mad pranks along the healthy leas;
  Two strangers meeting at a festival;
  Two lovers whispering by an orchard wall;
  Two lives bound fast in one with golden ease;
  Two graves grass-green beside a gray church-tower,
  Wash’d with still rains and daisy-blossomed;
  Two children in one hamlet born and bred;
  So runs [1] the round of life from hour to hour.

[Footnote 1:  1830.  Fill up.]

THE MERMAN

First printed in 1830.

1

  Who would be
  A merman bold,
  Sitting alone,
  Singing alone
  Under the sea,
  With a crown of gold,
  On a throne?

2