Jun 17, 2010

"With a Faery, Hand in Hand..."


The Stolen Child by William Butler Yeats


Where dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake,
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water rats;
There we've hid our faery vats,
Full of berrys
And of reddest stolen cherries.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim gray sands with light,
Far off by furthest Rosses
We foot it all the night,
Weaving olden dances
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight;
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles,
While the world is full of troubles
And anxious in its sleep.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car,
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star,
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams;
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
Come away, O human child!
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than you can understand.

Away with us he's going,
The solemn-eyed:
He'll hear no more the lowing
Of the calves on the warm hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace into his breast,
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the oatmeal chest.
For he comes, the human child,
To the waters and the wild
With a faery, hand in hand,
For the world's more full of weeping than he can understand.

12 comments:

the wild magnolia said...

I had not read this before. Wonderful and thanks for sharing.

mxtodis123 said...

Oh, how I love Yeats. Thanks for sharing this. A great way to start the day.
Mary

Anet said...

Lovely!

Thanks Rue, and have a great weekend! (prefect photo for the poem:)

Debra She Who Seeks said...

I love Yeats -- makes me wonder what the context was in which he wrote this poem.

She Who Works Her Will said...

Absolutely lovely!

She Who Works Her Will said...

Absolutely lovely!

Mary Bergfeld said...

This is really beautiful. I'm so glad you posted it. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

Judith said...

sigh. wonderful

Wendy said...

This poem is what I've felt all my life and in my post about being a Changeling I used some lines from this poem. Have you ever heard Loreena McKennitt's version of this? Gorgeous song...Ty for posting one of my fave. poems.

Anonymous said...

thanks ever so much!

HAPPYCRONE said...

HappyCrone said thanks ever so much, I will NOT be anonymous!LOL

AlphaBetsy said...

One of my favorites. How perfect for Midsummer.