UPON the Turkish boundary A watchman hath one child alone: "Oh God! oh God! what bliss'twould be, If I could call that girl mine own!" I sent a letter to the maid, And sent a ring -- "The ring is thine, So give me, sweet, thy love," I said, "And leave thy father's house for mine." The letter reach'd the maid -- she ran And placed it in her father's hand: "Read, oh, my father! if thou can, And make thy daughter understand." Her father read it, -- not a word He said, but sigh'd -- and as he rose -- Oh Lord of Mercy! righteous Lord! What heavy, heavy sighs were those? "My golden father! tell me why Such sighs, such sadness -- never pain Heaved from the breast a heavier sigh -- What did that wretched sheet contain?" "Sweet daughter! I have cause to groan, When misery on my heart is piled: A Turk demands thee for his own -- He asks thy father for his child." "My golden father! give me not -- Oh, if thou love me, do not so! I will not leave thy watchman's cot, -- Nay! with the Turk I dare not go! "I'll tell thee what I'll do -- I'll make A coffin, where I will be laid, And there my seeming rest I'll take, And thou shalt say -- the maid is dead!" And so she did -- the Moslem o'er The threshold sprung: "Ill-fated maid! Oh God of Mercy and of Power! The maid is dead, -- the maid is dead!" The mourning Turk his kerchief drew, And wiped his wet and weeping eyes: "And hast thou left me -- left me too, My precious pearl! -- my gem-like prize?" He bought himself a mourning dress, A dress of rosy taffety; "Why hast thou left me in distress, Of flowers the sweetest flower to me?" He bid the death-bells loudly toll From every Turkish mosque; and ye Might hear the heavy grave-song roll From Turkey even to Moldawy. The Turk sped homeward; and the maid Her coffin left for purer air. "Now, God be with thee, Turk!" she said; And truth was in the maiden's prayer." | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...BIRCH STREAM by ANNA BOYNTON AVERILL BE TRUE [THYSELF] by HORATIO (HORATIUS) BONAR ELEGY IN A COUNTRY CHURCHYARD by GILBERT KEITH CHESTERTON NEW ENGLAND'S DEAD! by ISAAC MCLELLAN JR. SONNET UPON HISTORIE OF GEORGE CASTRIOT, ALIAS SCANDERBERG by EDMUND SPENSER MAKE FRIENDS by ALI IBN ABU TALIB PRAIRIE VOICES by CHARLOTTE LOUISE BERTLESEN |