44 



^tmvt. 



Fhom the German of Burger. 



Lenore arose at morning red, 

 From dreamful slumbers waking ; 

 " William, art faithless, or art dead ? 

 Why such delay art making ? " — 

 Her knight had gone with Frederic's 



host 

 To where at Prague the swords had 



cross'd, 

 And of him came no tiding 

 To her so lone-abiding. 



At last the Empress and the King, 



After a war so dreary, 



Gave peace and rest, a blessed thing, 



To soldiers sick and weary ; 



Then all that host with song, and 



shout. 

 And roll of drum, for home set out, 

 VVith fair green boughs adorning 

 Their ranks that jubilant morning. 



O'er field and bridge, down lane and 



street, 

 Flocked all the glad new-comers. 

 And young and old with cheerings 



sweet 

 Hailed back the long-lost roamers. 

 "• Heaven be praised," wept wife and 



child, 

 " Welcome," sobb'd many a bride 



half-wild ; 

 But to Lenore that meeting 

 Brought never kiss or greeting 



Then far and wide she wandered well 

 Her lost One to discover ; 

 But none of all that host could tell 

 Why came not back her lover. 

 The ranks gone by, the greetings o'er. 

 Her raven locks she wildly tore. 

 And on the ground she cast her. 

 And wept and wailed the faster. 



The mother kissed the maid so wild, 

 And prayed, "May God befiiend 



thee"! 

 Why weepest sr>, my darling child ? 

 May God His mercy send thee !" 

 " O mother ; all is lost, is lost ! 

 The world may go, my love is crost, 

 God, O God thou scomest 

 Mv soul, of souls forlornest." 



" O help, God, help us in our ruth ! 



Child, say a paternoster. 



What He do'th, that is best in truth, 



God will thy lorn heart foster." 



" Tis all vain where the heart doth 



bleed. 

 With me God hath dealt hard indeed ; 

 What help would come by praying ? 

 Heart's-grief is part allaying." 



" Pray God for help ; say no such 



thing ; 

 None, none th' All-Father scometh : 

 The blessed sacrament will bring 

 Peace to the mind that moumeth." 

 " Mother, what burns within my 



breast 

 No sacrament could lull to rest ; 

 No sacrament can quicken 

 Life's-spirit in the death-stricken." 



"■ Child, has thy lover sworn false 



oath. 

 His soul with peijuiy laden ? 

 Think'st tiiou that he has plighted 



troth 

 To other deai-er maiden ? 

 Let not thy bosom take it hard. 

 Such, such in sooth have theirreward ; 

 When soul and body sever 

 The false-swom burn for ever." 



" O mother, lost, all, all is lost ! 

 The false, false knight doth scorn 



me ; 

 Death, death is best for heart's-love 



crost ; 

 Would thou hadst never borne me ! 

 Go out, for ever out, my hght. 

 Die down, die down in dark andnight ; 

 O God, God, thou scornest 

 My soul, of souls forlonest," 



'• Help, God ; nor into judgment fall 

 With thy poor child for ever : 

 She knows not what she saith at all, 

 Her great sin O forgive her. 

 Thine earthly sorrow put away. 

 Child, and for God's salvation pray ; 

 The Heavenly Bridegroom healeth 

 The soul that penitent kneeleth." 



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