Poems (Campbell)/The Maid of Thulé
"Farewell for ever, best belov'd!—
His voice shall meet mine ear no more,—
Too long believ'd, too faithless prov'd,
He hastens from this friendly shore.
And soon, in England's happy land,
A richer, fairer nymph shall find;
But, ah! not one to yield her hand,
With warmer heart, or purer mind.
Be still, thou deep;—ye fav'ring gales
Breathe lightly o'er the murm'ring wave;
Fill with soft breath my lover's sails,
And waft him far from Ellen's grave.
Ah! wherefore did ye waft him here,
To rend a luckless maiden's heart?
But I will wipe the gushing tear:—
He cannot act so base a part!
Not many moons have lit the sky,
Nor silver'd yonder peaceful sea,
Since first I saw the vessel nigh,
That bore such joy, such grief to me.
Long had th' Atlantic billows beat
Their gallant bark on wintry seas;
And long had been their cruise, and bleak,
Till spring awoke the western breeze.
Then safely anchor'd in this bay,
Too well their young commander strove
To steal my simple heart away,
And cloud my future days with love.
And will he spurn each plighted vow,
And leave me broken-hearted here?
But, hush, my doubts and terrors now—
He comes my drooping soul to cheer!"
Thus Ellen, on the beach reclin'd,
View'd the tall bark, with dewy eye,
Her sails unfurling to the wind
That from the north came whistling by.
And as she gaz'd in wild despair,
The boat advances to the land;
She sees the gallant hero there,
And soon he springs upon the strand.
His was each youthful, manly grace,
But his the giddy wand'ring mind,
That found a love in ev'ry place,
And shifted with the shifting wind.
Poor Ellen's was the fondest heart,
Form'd all to tenderness and love,
And free from ev'ry little art,
And mild and gentle as the dove.
"Farewell, sweet maid! farewell!" he cried,
"On you may love and rapture smile,
While I the boist'rous billows ride,
Far, far from you, and Thule's isle.
Old Ocean's bosom is my home,
And war the mistress I must woo;
For you may thornless roses bloom—
Sweet Thulean maid! adieu, adieu!"
No weak complaint escap'd her lip,
For burning pride suppress'd the sigh;
Till far, far off the gallant ship
Seem'd fading in the distant sky.
But stretch'd on the lone beach she lay,
Watching the slowly fading sail,
Till ev'ning wrapp'd in shadows grey
The mossy hill, and misty vale.
Pale grew her cheek, more deadly pale!
And lustreless her closing eye;
And there the moaning midnight gale
Receiv'd the Thulean maid's last sigh.