With modest, yet majestic mien, He tuned his harp of solemn strain : A lay so strange was never sung! Kilmeny. THE THIRTEENTH BARD'S SONG. Bonny Kilmeny gaed up the glen; But it wasna to meet Duneira's men, Nor the rosy monk of the isle to see, For Kilmeny was pure as pure could be. It was only to hear the Yorlin sing, And pu' the cress-flower round the spring; The scarlet hypp and the hindberrye, And the nut that hang frae the hazel tree; For Kilmeny was pure as pure could be. But lang may her minny look o'er the wa', And lang may she seek i' the green-wood shaw; Lang the laird of Duneira blame, And lang, lang greet or Kilmeny come hame ! When many a day had come and fled, When grief grew calm, and hope was dead, When mess for Kilmeny's soul had been sung, When the bedes-man had prayed, and the dead bell rung, Late, late in a gloamin when all was still, Late, late in the gloamin Kilmeny came hame! "Kilmeny, Kilmeny, where have you been? Lang hae we sought baith holt and den; By linn, by ford, and green-wood tree, Yet you are halesome and fair to see. Where gat you that joup o' the lilly scheen? That bonny snood of the birk sae green? And these roses, the fairest that ever were seen? Kilmeny, Kilmeny, where have you been?" N Kilmeny looked up with a lovely grace, But nae smile was seen on Kilmeny's face; As still was her look, and as still was her ee, As the stillness that lay on the emerant lea, Or the mist that sleeps on a waveless sea. For Kilmeny had been she knew not where, And Kilmeny had seen what she could not declare ; Kilmeny had been where the cock never crew, Where the rain never fell, and the wind never blew, A land of love, and a land of light, A still, an everlasting dream. In yon green-wood there is a waik, And in that waik there is a wene, And in that wene there is a maike, That neither has flesh, blood, nor bane; And down in yon green-wood he walks his lane. In that green wene Kilmeny lay, She 'wakened on couch of the silk sae slim, And aye they smiled, and 'gan to speer, "What spirit has brought this mortal here ?”— "Lang have I journeyed the world wide," A meek and reverend fere replied; “Baith night and day I have watched the fair, Eident a thousand years and mair. Yes, I have watched o'er ilk degree, But sinless virgin, free of stain Full twenty years she has lived as free As the spirits that sojourn this countrye. I have brought her away frae the snares of men, That sin or death she never may ken. They clasped her waiste and her hands sae fair, They kissed her cheek, and they kemed her hair, And round came many a blooming fere, Saying, "Bonny Kilmeny, ye're welcome here! Women are freed of the littand scorn: O, blessed be the day Kilmeny was born! |