FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  
-looking young man of about two-and-twenty. His comrades asked him if he had supped, and on his replying that he had, he who had already made the offer said to him: "In that case, Antonio, thou mayest as well do us the pleasure of singing a little, that the gentleman, our guest, may see that even in the mountains and woods there are musicians: we have told him of thy accomplishments, and we want thee to show them and prove that we say true; so, as thou livest, pray sit down and sing that ballad about thy love that thy uncle the prebendary made thee, and that was so much liked in the town." "With all my heart," said the young man, and without waiting for more pressing he seated himself on the trunk of a felled oak, and tuning his rebeck, presently began to sing to these words. ANTONIO'S BALLAD Thou dost love me well, Olalla; Well I know it, even though Love's mute tongues, thine eyes, have never By their glances told me so. For I know my love thou knowest, Therefore thine to claim I dare: Once it ceases to be secret, Love need never feel despair. True it is, Olalla, sometimes Thou hast all too plainly shown That thy heart is brass in hardness, And thy snowy bosom stone. Yet for all that, in thy coyness, And thy fickle fits between, Hope is there--at least the border Of her garment may be seen. Lures to faith are they, those glimpses, And to faith in thee I hold; Kindness cannot make it stronger, Coldness cannot make it cold. If it be that love is gentle, In thy gentleness I see Something holding out assurance To the hope of winning thee. If it be that in devotion Lies a power hearts to move, That which every day I show thee, Helpful to my suit should prove. Many a time thou must have noticed-- If to notice thou dost care-- How I go about on Monday Dressed in all my Sunday wear. Love's eyes love to look on brightness; Love loves what is gaily drest; Sunday, Monday, all I care is Thou shouldst see me in my best. No account I make of dances, Or of strains that pleased thee so, Keeping thee awake from midnight Till the cocks began to crow; Or of how I roundly swore it That there's none so fair as thou; True it is, but as I said it, By the girls I'm hated now. For Teresa of the hillside At my praise of thee was sore; Said, "You think you love an angel; It's a monkey you adore; "Caught by all her glittering trinkets, And
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129  
130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Sunday
 

Monday

 

Olalla

 

assurance

 

Kindness

 
holding
 
Something
 

Coldness

 
stronger
 

gentle


gentleness

 

winning

 
hearts
 

devotion

 
glimpses
 

Helpful

 
Teresa
 
hillside
 

roundly

 

praise


Caught

 

glittering

 

trinkets

 

monkey

 

brightness

 

notice

 

noticed

 

Dressed

 

shouldst

 

midnight


Keeping

 
pleased
 

garment

 

account

 

dances

 
strains
 

livest

 
musicians
 

accomplishments

 
ballad

waiting
 

pressing

 
prebendary
 
mountains
 

supped

 

replying

 
comrades
 

twenty

 
singing
 

gentleman