Classic Poem

It was a friar of orders gray
— Walked forth to tell his beads;
And he met with a lady fair
— Clad in a pilgrim's weeds.

" Now Christ thee save, thou reverend friar;
— I pray thee tell to me,
If ever at yon holy shrine
— My true-love thou didst see. "

" And how should I know your true-love
— From many another one? "
" O, by his cockle hat, and staff,
— And by his sandal shoon.

" But chiefly by his face and mien,
— That were so fair to view;
His flaxen locks that sweetly curled,
— And eyes of lovely blue. "

" O lady, he is dead and gone!
— Lady, he's dead and gone!
And at his head a green grass turf,
— And at his heels a stone.

" Within these holy cloisters long
— He languished, and he died,
Lamenting of a lady's love,
— And 'plaining of her pride.

" Here bore him barefaced on his bier
— Six proper youths and tall,
And many a tear bedewed his grave
— Within yon kirkyard wall. "

" And art thou dead, thou gentle youth?
— And art thou dead and gone?
And didst thou die for love of me?
— Break, cruel heart of stone! "

" O, weep not, lady, weep not so;
— Some ghostly comfort seek;
Let not vain sorrow rive thy heart,
— Nor tears bedew thy cheek. "

" O, do not, do not, holy friar,
— My sorrow now reprove;
For I have lost the sweetest youth
— That e'er won lady's love.

" And now, alas! for thy sad loss
— I'll evermore weep and sigh;
For thee I only wished to live,
— For thee I wish to die. "

" Weep no more, lady, weep no more,
— Thy sorrow is in vain;
For violets plucked, the sweetest showers
— Will ne'er make grow again.

" Our joys as winged dreams do fly;
— Why then should sorrow last?
Since grief but aggravates thy loss,
— Grieve not for what is past. "

" O, say not so, thou holy friar;
— I pray thee, say not so;
For since my true-love died for me,
— 'Tis meet my tears should flow.

" And will he never come again?
— Will he ne'er come again?
Ah, no! he is dead, and laid in his grave,
— Forever to remain.

" His cheek was redder than the rose;
— The comeliest youth was he!
But he is dead and laid in his grave:
— Alas, and woe is me! "

" Sigh no more, lady, sigh no more,
— Men were deceivers ever:
One foot on sea and one on shore,
— To one thing constant never.

" Hadst thou been fond, he had been false,
— And left thee sad and heavy;
For young men ever were fickle found,
— Since summer trees were leafy. "

" Now say not so, thou holy friar,
— I pray thee say not so;
My love he had the truest heart,
— O, he was ever true!

" And art thou dead, thou much-loved youth,
— And didst thou die for me?
Then farewell home; for evermore
— A pilgrim I will be.

" But first upon my true-love's grave
— My weary limbs I'll lay,
And thrice I'll kiss the green-grass turf
— That wraps his breathless clay. "

" Yet stay, fair lady; rest awhile
— Beneath this cloister wall;
The cold wind through the hawthorn blows,
— And drizzly rain doth fall. "

" O, stay me not, thou holy friar,
— O, stay me not, I pray;
No drizzly rain that falls on me
— Can wash my fault away. "

" Yet stay, fair lady, turn again,
— And dry those pearly tears;
For see, beneath this gown of gray
— Thy own true-love appears.

" Here forced by grief and hopeless love,
— These holy weeds I sought;
And here, amid these lonely walls,
— To end my days Ithought.

" But haply, for my year of grace
— Is not yet passed away,
Might I still hope to win thy love,
— No longer would I stay. "

" Now farewell grief, and welcome joy
— Once more unto my heart;
For since I have found thee, lovely youth,
— We nevermore will part. "