shoulder slung;
Resting the harp upon his knee; 35
To words of a forgotten tongue,
He suits its melody. [10]
Of flocks upon the neighbouring hill [11]
He is the darling and the joy;
And often, when no cause appears, 40
The mountain-ponies prick their ears,
--They hear the Danish Boy,
While in the dell he sings [12] alone
Beside the tree and corner-stone.
[13]

V There sits he; in his face you spy 45
No trace of a ferocious air,
Nor ever was a cloudless sky
So steady or so fair.
The lovely Danish Boy is blest
And happy in his flowery cove: 50
From bloody deeds his thoughts are far;
And yet he warbles songs of war,
That seem [14] like songs of love,
For calm and gentle is his mien;
Like a dead Boy he is serene. 55

* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1:

1836.

... a cottage hut; 1800.]

[Variant 2:

1827.

He sings his blithest and his best; 1800.

She sings, regardless of her rest, 1820.]

[Variant 3:

1827.

But in ... 1800.]

[Variant 4:

1820.

... his ... 1800.]

[Variant 5:

1827.

The bees borne on ... 1800.]

[Variant 6:

1827.

Nor ever linger there. 1800.]

[Variant 7:

1836.

He seems ... 1800.]

[Variant 8:

1802.

A piping Shepherd he might be,
A Herd-boy of the wood. 1800.]

[Variant 9:

1802.

... nor ... 1800.]

[Variant 10:

1836.

He rests the harp upon his knee,
And there in a forgotten tongue
He warbles melody. 1800.]

[Variant 11:

1827.

Of flocks and herds both far and near 1800.

Of flocks upon the neighbouring hills 1802.]

[Variant 12:

1845.

... sits ... 1800.]

[Variant 13:

When near this blasted tree you pass,
Two sods are plainly to be seen
Close at its root, and each with grass
Is cover'd fresh and green.
Like turf upon a new-made grave
These two green sods together lie,
Nor heat, nor cold, nor rain, nor wind
Can these two sods together bind,
Nor sun, nor earth, nor sky,
But side by side the two are laid,
As if just sever'd