Classic Poem

“Whither away, in thy swift-winged bark,
Over the waters blue?”
“The way is long, and the night is dark,
And before the song of the matin lark
My voyage must be through.

“On Clutha's rock a castle tall
Frowns over the waters blue.
My lord, within that castle tall,
In deadly peril holds his all;
And my life to my lord is due.

“I have twenty stout and stalwart men,
As ever tugged at yew.
You may search the land, nor find again
Twenty such stout and stalwart men,
Nor twenty hearts so true.

“And every man, by his trusty side,
Has a falchion keen and new;
And with blades so keen and hearts so tried,
Their way to their lord they would soon divide
A host of leaguers through.

“And hosts of leaguers throng around
My lord and his vassals few;
And where shall his valiant liege be found,
Who would not stand his inch of ground,
To his lord and his honor true?

“Many long months they have stood at bay,
With sword and spear and yew;
And the few the leaguers could not slay,
Famine and toil have thinned away,—
But firm that noble few.

“To lend our lives to a lord so brave,
We skim the waters blue;
And we would hurry us over the wave,
That noble few to reach and save,
Though a raging whirlwind blew.

“The wave curls high, and its top is white
As the plume of the wild sea-mew;
And the bark cuts swift as an arrow's flight,
And its way is like the track of light,
Where the falling meteor flew.

“Though dark the night, and the wind blow strong
As ever tempest blew,
To Clutha's rock we scud along,
And cheer our way with tale and song
Of the fearless heart and true.

“Then away, away, in my swift-winged bark,
Over the waters blue;—
The way is long, and the night is dark,
And before the song of the matin lark
My voyage must be through.”