A BARD'S BLESSING. 5 



A BARD'S BLESSING. 



Comely and kerchief 'd, blooming, fresh and fair, 



All hail and welcome ! joy and peace be thine ; 

 Of happiness and health a bounteous share 



Be shower'd upon thee from the hand divine. 

 Wearing the matron's coif, thou seem'st to be 

 Even lovelier now than erst, when fancy-free, 

 Thou in thy beauty's strength did'st steal my heart from me. 



Though young in years thou 'rt now a wedded wife ; 



O seek His guidance who can guide aright. 

 With aid from Him, the rugged path of life 



May still be trod with pleasure and delight ; 

 For He who made us bids us not forego 

 A single, sinless pleasure in this world of woe. 



Be open-hearted, but be eident too, 



Be strong and full of courage, but be staid ; 

 Aught like unseemly folly still eschew 



Be faultless wife as thou wast faultless maid ! 

 Guard against hasty speech and temper violent, 

 And knowing when to speak, know also to be silent. 



Guard thy good name and mine from smallest stain ; 



In manner still be kindly, frank, and free ; 

 If thou 'rt reviled, revile not thou again ; 



In hour of trial calm and patient be ; 

 And when thy cup is full, walk humbly still, 

 A careless, proud, rash step the blissful cup may spill ! 



With this bard's blessing on thy wedded morn, 



All at thy bridal chamber -door we greet thee ; 

 May every joy of truth and goodness born 



Through all thy life-long journey crowd to meet thee ; 

 And may the God of Peace now richly shed 



A blessing on thy kerchief -cinctured head ! 



The word breid in the original, which we have rendered kerchief 

 and coif, was in the olden times the peculiar head-dress of married 

 females, while virgins wore their braided locks xmcovered, a simple 

 ribbon to bind the hair, and occasionally a sprig of heather or modest 

 flower by way of ornament, being the only head-dress that could 



