Beatrice of Swabia
With a new horror, a new question—How
Came we two here, poor prisoners as we are?
Is all that you have told me all these years—
My own strange story, is it not a dream,
A tale to cheat the time like that you sang me
When I would cry in these dim rooms for light
And trembled at the roaring of the sea
Against my little pillow, as I thought—
Oh is it, is it very truth? Am I
Indeed a princess, Manfred's daughter, sister
To fair Queen Constance, you so love to speak of?
Is all this but delusion? and the dream
That fills my nights up, floods them all with glory
Of sunshine and blue sea unspeakable
That waking I shall never look upon,
A lovely lie—no more? Or did I once
Live kissed and petted through such golden hours
As now you tell of—happy, happy child!
Tell me, dear nurse, tell me once more, beseech you,
Am I this king's child whom the world forgets?
Poor captive—orphan of so great a house!
Poor nurse, you weep.
Far. My lady and princess!
My starry jessamine shining through the gloom!
By Allah! all is true that I have told,
And more, much more . . . .
Came we two here, poor prisoners as we are?
Is all that you have told me all these years—
My own strange story, is it not a dream,
A tale to cheat the time like that you sang me
When I would cry in these dim rooms for light
And trembled at the roaring of the sea
Against my little pillow, as I thought—
Oh is it, is it very truth? Am I
Indeed a princess, Manfred's daughter, sister
To fair Queen Constance, you so love to speak of?
Is all this but delusion? and the dream
That fills my nights up, floods them all with glory
Of sunshine and blue sea unspeakable
That waking I shall never look upon,
A lovely lie—no more? Or did I once
Live kissed and petted through such golden hours
As now you tell of—happy, happy child!
Tell me, dear nurse, tell me once more, beseech you,
Am I this king's child whom the world forgets?
Poor captive—orphan of so great a house!
Poor nurse, you weep.
Far. My lady and princess!
My starry jessamine shining through the gloom!
By Allah! all is true that I have told,
And more, much more . . . .
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