Classic and Contemporary Poetry
LORELEI, by ANONYMOUS First Line: Where the rhine pursues its track Last Line: Plunging - in the rhine she sank Subject(s): Drowning;love - Loss Of;magic;suicide | ||||||||
I. WHERE the Rhine pursues its track By the walls of Bacharach, There a bright-eyed sorceress dwells, Hearts bewitching with her spells. II. By her magic charms perplext, Bravest men are sorely vext, Knight nor peasant rescue find Whom her love-enchantments bind. III. Her the Bishop bade appear, Judgment from the Church to hear; But could not her doom decree, Of so fair a form was she! IV. Movingly to her he said, "Lorelei, misguided maid! What hath tempted thee to ply Damnèd craft of sorcery?" V. "Holy Bishop! let me die, Weary of my life am I; In my glance there lurketh death, Whom I look on perisheth! VI. "Stars of flaming light these eyne! Magic wand this arm of mine! Bind me to the burning stake, This my wand of magic break." VII. "Thy sad sentence must be stay'd Till thou hast confession made; Why, e'en now those flaming eyne Burn into this heart of mine. VIII. "Lorelei! this powerless hand Dare not break thy magic wand, Or, with pity for thy sake, Truly my own heart would break." IX. "Why those bitter words to me, Sporting with my misery? Bishop! more I need thy prayer That God's mercy I may share; X. "Let me die, since nought can move My sad heart again to love; Let thy lips my doom decree: Death no terror has for me! XI. "Me my lover has betray'd, Left me a forsaken maid, Wandering on some foreign shore, To return again no more. XII. "Eyes by nature soft and bright, Cheeks where blended hues unite, Voice of sweet and sorrowing tone, My enchantmentsthese alone! XIII. "Nor can I their influence fly. Anguish stricken, I must die; When my features I survey, Sorrow wastes my heart away. XIV. "Ere I die thy blessing give, That with Jesu I may live; Why must I on earth abide, Sever'd from my lover's side?" XV. Three knights at his bidding wait: "Bear her to the cloister straight." "Lorelei! God's mercy still Guard thy brain from further ill! XVI. "Thou, in garb of nun bedight, Robe of black, and veil of white, There to prayer and penance given, Win thy way from earth to Heaven!" XVII. Now the mounted knights, all three, Ride forth to the nunnery; Sadly on, with tearful eye, In the midst rode Lorelei. XVIII. "Let me now, I pray thee, knight, Stand upon yon rocky height, Once again my fight would fall On my lover's castle wall; XIX. "Once again my longing eyne Look into the depth of Rhine; Then, within the cloister gate, I on God will ever wait." XX. Where that rock from out the deep Like a wall rose straight and steep, Climbing up from stone to stone, On the top she stood alone. XXI. Said the maid, "A bark I spy, On the Rhine-stream floating by; He whom I, returning, see Must, I trow, my lover be! XXII. "Now my heart is light and free, My lost lover, it is he!" From the mountain's rocky bank Plungingin the Rhine she sank! | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BOARDMAN AND COFFIN by CONRAD AIKEN FOR THE SUICIDES OF TWO YEARS AGO by DONALD JUSTICE SEVEN STREAMS OF NEVIS by GALWAY KINNELL DIDO AND AENEAS by CHARLES MARTIN I COULD NOT TELL by SHARON OLDS POOR DEVIL! by STEPHEN VINCENT BENET THE DREAM SONGS: 145 by JOHN BERRYMAN TIS A LITTLE JOURNEY by ANONYMOUS |
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