The Nightingale

I well know where a castle stands,
And richly it is dight
With silver and with ruddy-gold,
And marble polished bright.

Within its yard a linden stands
With tender leaflets hung,
And dwells therein a nightingale,
That sweetly tunes her tongue.

A gentle knight at midnight hour
Came riding there along,
And stood awhile in wonder lost
To hear the warbler's song.

"Now hark! thou little nightingale,
"A lay I prithee sing;
"And then thy neck I'll hang with pearl,
"With beaten gold thy wing/'

"I value not the plumes of gold,
"That you would have me wear;
"I roam the world a wild wood bird,
"Whom man shall never snare."

"And if a wild wood bird thou art,
"Whom man shall never snare,
"Must pinch thee hunger, cold and snow,
"When all the trees are bare."

"Me pinch not hunger wind or snow,
"Nor winter's bitter chill;
"But secret pangs of grief untold
"My heart with anguish fill.

"The brawling stream from mountain brow
"Deep in the dale is toss'd,
"But memory of one we've loved,
"Can never so be lost.

"A sweetheart once I had so dear,
"A brave and gallant knight;
"But hard stepmother grudged our love,
"And wreak'd on us her spite.

"Myself she shaped to a Nightingale,
"And drave me from my home,
"My brother a grisly wolf she made
"In forest wild to roam.

"In wolfish guise for seven long years
"He roam'd the murky wood;
"For bound he was in runic spell,
"Till he should drink her blood.

"One day, as through the Rose-tree grove
"All gaily dress'd she came,
"He slily watch'd her, lay in wait,
"And caught that hateful dame.

"He griped her fast with wolfish claw,
"And then with deadly bite
"Tore out her heart and drank her blood,
"And so stood up a knight.

"Myself I am still a little bird,
"That flies on heath so wide;
"And pass r in pain the weary hours,
"But most at winter-tide.

"Yet, thanks to God who sees my grief!
"I use my tongue anew:
"For five years I've not talk'd as much,
"As now I've done to you.

"While others slept, I've on ray bough
"Sung through the midnight hour,
"Nor ever found a better home
"Than in my greenwood bower."

"Now hark thee, little Nightingale,
"With this ray wish comply;
"The winter in my chamber sing,
"And off in summer fly."

"Thanks for your offer, gentle knight,
"Your room I cannot share;
"For that my mother's spell forbids,
"While feathered wings I bear."

As musing sat the nightingale,
Nor on his purpose thought,
He stretch'd his hand, and by the foot
The little warbler caught.

He took her home, and carefully
Shut door and window to;
And there she turn'd to beasts as strange
As ever came to view,

To lion and to bear she turned,
And many monsters more;
Or as an ugly lindworm laughed,
And seemed athirst for gore.

He cut her with his little knife;
And drew a stream of blood,
And there at once before his eyes
A blooming maiden stood.

"Then since I've thee from spell released,
"Thy tears of sorrow dried,
"Say, lady, what is thy descent
"On both thy parents' side?"

"My father was of Egypt king,
"My mother was the queen,
"My brother was a grisly wolf,
"That roam'd the woodland green."

"And was then Egypt's king thy sire?
"And was thy mother queen?
"Then thou art e'en my sister dear,
"Who long a bird has been."

And loud was over house and land
The voice of joy and song,
That he that little bird had caught,
In linden lived so long.