Poems (Campbell)/The Fair Captive
THE FAIR CAPTIVE.
Upon a wild and rugged coast,Where loud the ocean surges tost,A solitary watch-tow'r stood,And frown'd upon the restless flood.
In many a wild fantastic shapeRose the rude cliff and jutting cape;Behind, a lone, deep valley green,And woody mountains clos'd the scene.
Seldom in that deep valley's greenWas print of human footstep seen,And seldom were the echoes wokeBut the wild sea-bird's cry to mock.
Save when the lawless pirate crewTo this, their rude retreat, withdrew;Then Echo, from her inmost cell,Return'd the rev'llers mingled yell.
No female footstep ever trodThe solitary bleak abode;Nor aught was heard of woman fair—Save one—and she was captive there.
There, day by day, she wept and sigh'd,And still the swelling billows ey'd;And when fair Summer deck'd the vale,Her sad song floated on the gale.—
"Oh! Heav'n, how irksome 'tis to viewThe summer-sky's delightful blue,From this dull prison, day by day;And waste my life in sighs away!
How irksome too, to hear the waveThe level beach so softly lave;While my parch'd lips can scarce inhaleThy gentle breath, sweet western gale.
Oh! come again, sweet cooling breeze,On viewless wings across the seas;Breathe softer than a lover's sigh,This prison's lofty window by.
Oh, me! how oft by fancy led,My native flow'ry fields I tread;Then start from the dear soothing dream,Rous'd by the passing sea-bird's scream.
Far distant from this rugged strandSpread thy fair plains, my native land!But never more these eyes shall seeThat native land so dear to me!
Oh, fatal hour! oh, fatal day!That bore me from those plains away,A pirate's slave—a pirate's love—Oh, worse than slavery to prove!
Beneath Iberia's genial skiesI open'd first these languid eyes;And wealth was mine, and high degree—Ah! what avail'd they—am I free?
'Mid orange groves, and citron bow'rs,How swiftly flew my happy hours!What made those hours so swiftly move?'Twas Henry's smile! 'twas Henry's love!
But Henry was no mighty lord;His all-—his honour and his sword—Sprung from a haughty, ancient line,A stern and cruel sire was mine.
We fled—ah! what could lovers do,Or what but ruin could ensue?—A father's curse, a mother's wail,I heard in ev'ry passing gale!
We fled, to seek fair Albion's land,And left at night Laredo's strand;The star-beams twinkled on the wave—Destin'd, alas! for Henry's grave!
The stars were hid,—the storm came forth,Loud blust'ring from the angry North;Driv'n far to sea, the shatter'd barkRode the rude billows through the dark.
And when the orient morn aroseSo bright—in mock'ry of our woes—O'er the calm'd billows azure sheenThe pirate's blood-red flag was seen.
I cannot, cannot tell the rest—I saw the life-blood stain his vest—I saw him die—I shriek'd, I fell—Would then had toll'd my fun'ral knell!
But many a morn, to these sad eyesBlack with despair, was yet to rise;To this dark den of robbers borne,From hope, from life, from freedom torn.
The pirate's love—the pirate's slave—Oh! worse than torture and the grave!—When, when will Death these eye-lids seal,When shall this bosom cease to feel!
But hush! the western breeze is fled;The foamy billow rears its head,And fast athwart the low'ring skyThe gath'ring clouds in tumult fly.
Oh! Heav'n! that now the tempest's pow'rWould shatter wide this hateful tow'r,And set me free from thraldom sore,Or crush me here to weep no more!
Hark! far above, the thunder's crash—See through the gloom the lightning's flash—The tow'r rocks wildly to the storm,And freedom comes in death's pale form!"
The captive's voice was heard no more,The tow'r's huge fragments strew'd the shore;And nought was seen where once it stood,But the rude cliff above the flood.
And many a year has now gone bySince the rude watch-tow'r frown'd on high,Nor voy'ger's boat, nor pirate band,E'er tread the long-deserted strand.
Yet when the seaman anchors there,Fresh water from the spring to bear;In the lone valley's gloomiest greenA strange and shadowy form is seen.
Sudden along the heaving tide,The passing spirit seems to glide—So ghastly pale—so dimly fair—Then mixes with the viewless air.