Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE FAIRY BOY, by ANONYMOUS


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE FAIRY BOY, by                    
First Line: The laird of co has left his hall
Last Line: "farewell, farewell, good laird of co!"
Subject(s): Gratitude


Part I

THE Laird of Co has left his hall,
And stands alone on the castle wall, —
His castle that hangs o'er the ocean-waves,
And rests on the roofs of the Fairy Caves.
Oh, sad and pensive there he stands,
Though his eye sees nought but his own broad lands,
Or far or near where his glance may go —
And keen is the glance of the Laird of Co!

"A fond farewell, ye scenes so dear,
A long, a last farewell, I fear,
For a boding voice seems whispering me,
'You never more these scenes shall see.'
But a tyrant's foot must now be stayed,
And my King has asked my sword in aid;
So fare-ye-well, 'tide weal or woe,
'Tide life or death, to the Laird of Co!"

Now rests his eye on the pennon gay
Of a bark that rides in the open bay,
And spreads before the freshening gale
The swelling breast of her snowy sail;
While youthful squire and stalwart knight,
With helm and corselet glancing bright,
Along her decks impatient go —
"You tarry long, O Laird of Co!"

"That comrades brave for me should wait!"
He quickly gains the castle-gate,
But there a boy before him stands,
A tiny cup in his tiny hands.
"My mother dear is weak and old,
Our home is dark, her couch is cold;
One cup of wine on her bestow
For charity, O Laird of Co!"

"Has never yet with will of mine
Unheeded been such prayer as thine.
Ho! Steward, take the boy with thee
And fill his cup for charity.
For charity? Poor child, I pray
When from such tale I turn away,
I dwell in home as dark and low
As thine, that now am Laird of Co!"

With rapid step he bends his way
To where the bark rides in the bay,
Her decks with arms and armor piled,
When comes the Steward, staring wild.
"That urchin strange — his elf-made cup
A butt of wine hath swallowed up!
Yet not a drop doth in it show —
Some fiend he is, O Laird of Co!"

"Or fiend or fairy, sprite or child,
Good Steward, let his cup be filled,
If wine enough of mine there be,
For well you know my word hath he:
Aye, every drop into it pour,
Till drained be every vault and store
Pour till his beaker overflow —
Broke never his word a Laird of Co!"

Now back again the Steward hies,
And views the cup with wondering eyes,
While trembles every joint and limb —
One drop has filled it to the brim!
The boy departing softly said:
"When he on clay-cold couch is laid,
In home like mine, as dark and low,
I will repay the Laird of Co."

Part II

Oh, many a summer sun has shone,
And many a winter blast has blown,
Since sailed to foreign wars away
The bark that rode in the open bay!
And they who were but children then
Are women grown and bearded men,
And the old are gone where all must go
But comes not home the Laird of Co.

In cell where sunlight never falls,
And the damp runs down the blackened walls,
And slowly, darkly tracks its way
'Mong rotting straw on the floor of clay,
And rusts the fetters strongly bound
Around the captive on the ground,
So wan from suffering and woe —
Is this the comely Laird of Co!

"A soldier's death and soldier's grave,
On battle-field with comrades brave,
With lightsome heart I freely dared,
Nor of them thought, nor for them cared;
But thus, like felon vile, to lie
In hopeless, blank captivity,
In dungeon dark and damp and low —
And I was once the Laird of Co!"

What light, what light, like noontide clear,
Illumes the dungeon dark and drear?
What hand the door flings open wide,
As bar and lock-bolts backward glide?
A child beside the captive stands,
His bosom crossed with folded hands:
"I come to pay the debt I owe.
Arise, arise, poor Laird of Co!

"Arise, for thou art free again —"
His hand but touched the captive's chain,
And link and loop and lock and all
Like frost-nipped leaves in Autumn fall:
And strong and stalwart under him
Becomes each shrunken, wasted limb,
And he steps as stept he long ago,
When he went to the wars, the Laird of Co!

They mount the steep and winding stair,
Where dust makes thick the scanty air;
And through the gates that open stand
They pass unchallenged, hand in hand.
The boy's bright eyes are fixed on high —
His right hand pointed to the sky —
His foot he strikes on the earth below: —
"Now mount with me, O Laird of Co!"

Then up, up, up, to the starry sky!
They cleave the air that rushes by;
And on and on o'er wood and lea,
O'er lake and river, shore and sea;
While hamlets small and cities vast,
With blended lights go glancing past,
And fade away in the gloom below —
Where journeys he, the Laird of Co?

On earth again, and hand in hand
Before a castle's gate they stand —
A castle that hangs o'er the ocean-waves,
And rests on the roofs of the Fairy Caves.
"Farewell, I thus the wine repay
You gave for blessèd charity,
And your word held sacred long ago,
Farewell, farewell, good Laird of Co!"





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