Ballad #1

Whence the rider came about Looking for a different route He stopped by a water spout And rested there to quench his drought A maiden came and filled by there And saw the rider, given scare But he was sleeping, so little beware Of the horseman lying there His beard was wet and not quite straight With graven lack of care of late She then stopped, master’s berate And combed his beard, made it straight Soon thereafter the rider awoke And watched the maiden finish the stroke Upon his beard and then he spoke “Take my clasp from my throat.” The maiden, startled though she was Did this favored manner and thus Earned the haggard rider’s trust And would continue if he must The lady made to make him stand And asked him if he’d take his brand And he took the clasp from her hand And that single brush had felt quite grand The rider’s eyes had darkened here Feeling an unwanted fear And he shed a single tear And whispered in the maiden’s ear “I only wish to move along I care not for mirth and song For the people in those throngs Are fools, and their road leads brigand Keep if you will my presence here But I must warn you, Doom be near At hand is he,” And left her ear With her finger, she traced the tear He grabbed her wrist upon his face And moved it to a different place “With all thy charm and all thy grace, I wish to stay, but must make haste For I have masters of my own And time is desperately on loan I tarry not, and it be known My destination, Abalone” He placed her hand upon his breast And with that dispelled his rest One kiss he gave and hastened lest He be tempted, fail his test “Faire thee well, O maiden fair Tread thee careful, for Devil’s Lair Lies on thy road soon up there The reaches of the mind, Beware!” Hither mounting faithful steed He rode forth without need But before he left indeed He bore out the maiden’s plea: “If master, time and horse permit Return thee to my abode with A grander work of aged smith Two silver rings and heart permits That thou make unto me a vow To be mine forever now And be joined, I and thou With an eternal marriage vow” “Thou hast requests staked high I know not if I may try To resign from none but my Hero’s post and settle to die So walk thou on thy road, tread thee light And step in silence be not contrite And if thou be pressed make thou a fight Continue thee, O maiden bright!”