Classic Poem

Upon the turkish boundary,
A watchman hath one child alone,
O God! O 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, O my father! if thou can,
And make thy daughter understand. "

H ER father read it — not a word
He said — but sigh'd — as he arose —
" O Lord of mercy! righteous Lord! "
WhaTheavy, heavy sighs were those.

" M Y golden father tell me why
Such sighs — such sadness — never pain
Heav'd from the breast a heavier sigh —
What did that wretched sheet contain? "

" S WEET daughter, I have cause to groan,
When misery on my heart is pil'd;
A turk demands thee for his own —
He asks thy father for his child. "

" M Y golden father! give me not —
O, if thou love me — do not so!
I will not leave thy watchman's cot —
Nay! with the turk I dare not go.

" I 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. "

A ND so she did — the moslem o'er
The threshold sprung — " Ill-fated maid!
O God of mercy and of power!
The maid is dead! the maid is dead. "

The mourning turk his 'kerchief drew,
And wip'd his wet and weeping eyes:
And hast thou left me — left me too —
My precious pearl — my gemlike prize? "

H E bought himself a mourning dress,
A dress of rosy taffety —
" Why hast thou left me in distress —
Of flowers the sweetest flower to me. "

H E bid the death-bells loudly toll
From every Turkish mosk — and ye
MighThear 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.