The Outlaw's Song

THE chough and crow to roost are gone,

The owl sits on the tree,

The hush'd wind wails with feeble moan,

Like infant charity.

The wild-fire dances on the fen,

The red star sheds its ray;

Uprouse ye then, my merry men!

It is our op'ning day.

Both child and nurse are fast asleep,

And closed is every flower,

And winking tapers faintly peep

High from my lady's bower;

Bewilder'd hinds with shorten'd ken

Shrink on their murky way;

Uprouse ye then, my merry men!

It is our op'ning day.

Nor board nor garner own we now,

Nor roof nor latchèd door,

Nor kind mate, bound by holy vow

To bless a good man's store;

Noon lulls us in a gloomy den,

And night is grown our day;

Uprouse ye then, my merry men!

And use it as ye may.

Joanna Bailley

The Maid of Llanwellyn

I'VE no sheep on the mountains

Nor boat on the lake

Nor coin in my coffer

To keep me awake

Nor corn in my garner,

Nor fruit on my tree

Yet the maid of Llanwellyn

Smiles sweetly on me.

Rich Owen will tell you,

With eyes full of scorn

Threadbare is my coat,

And my hosen are torn

Scoff on, my rich Owen,

For faint is thy glee

When the maid of Llanwellyn

Smiles sweetly on me.

The farmer rides proudly

To market and fair

And the clerk at the ale house

Still claims the great chair;

But of all our proud fellows,

The proudest I'll be

While the maid of Llanwellyn

Smiles sweetly on me.

Joanna Bailley

Song

WHAT voice is this, thou evening gale!

That mingles with thy rising wail;

And, as it passes, sadly seems

The faint return of youthful dreams?

Though now its strain is wild and drear,

Blithe was it once as sky-lark's cheer --

Sweet at the night-bird's sweetest song, --

Dear as the lisp of infant's tongue.

It was the voice, at whose sweet flow

The heart did beat, and cheek did glow,

And lip did smile, and eye did weep,

And motioned love the measure keep.

Oft be thy sound, soft gale of even,

Thus to my wistful fancy given;

And, as I list the swelling strain,

The dead shall seem to live again!

Joanna Bailley