The Neckan

In summer, on the headlands,
&nbspThe Baltic Sea along,
Sits Neckan with his harp of gold,
&nbspAnd sings his plaintive song.

Green rolls beneath the headlands,
&nbspGreen rolls the Baltic Sea;
And there, below the Neckan's feet,
&nbspHis wife and children be.

He sings not of the ocean,
&nbspIts shells and roses pale;
Of earth, of earth the Neckan sings,
&nbspHe hath no other tale.

He sits upon the headlands,
&nbspAnd sings a mournful stave
Of all he saw and felt on earth
&nbspFar from the kind sea-wave.

Sings how, a knight, he wander'd
&nbspBy castle, field, and town—
But earthly knights have harder hearts
&nbspThan the sea-children own.

Sings of his earthly bridal—
&nbspPriest, knights, and ladies gay.
"—And who art thou," the priest began,
&nbsp"Sir Knight, who wedd'st to-day?"—

"—I am no knight," he answered;
&nbsp"From the sea-waves I come."—
The knights drew sword, the ladies scream'd,
&nbspThe surpliced priest stood dumb.

He sings how from the chapel
&nbspHe vanish'd with his bride,
And bore her down to the sea-halls,
&nbspBeneath the salt sea-tide.

He sings how she sits weeping
&nbsp'Mid shells that round her lie.
"—False Neckan shares my bed," she weeps;
&nbsp"No Christian mate have I."—

He sings how through the billows
&nbspHe rose to earth again,
And sought a priest to sign the cross,
&nbspThat Neckan Heaven might gain.

He sings how, on an evening,
&nbspBeneath the birch-trees cool,
He sate and play'd his harp of gold,
&nbspBeside the river-pool.

Beside the pool sate Neckan—
&nbspTears fill'd his mild blue eye.
On his white mule, across the bridge,
&nbspA cassock'd priest rode by.

"—Why sitt'st thou there, O Neckan,
&nbspAnd play'st thy harp of gold?
Sooner shall this my staff bear leaves,
&nbspThan thou shalt Heaven behold."—

But, lo, the staff, it budded!
&nbspIt green'd, it branch'd, it waved.
"—O ruth of God," the priest cried out,
&nbsp"This lost sea-creature saved!"

The cassock'd priest rode onwards,
&nbspAnd vanished with his mule;
But Neckan in the twilight grey
&nbspWept by the river-pool.

He wept: "The earth hath kindness,
&nbspThe sea, the starry poles;
Earth, sea, and sky, and God above—
&nbspBut, ah, not human souls!"

In summer, on the headlands,
&nbspThe Baltic Sea along,
Sits Neckan with his harp of gold,
&nbspAnd sings this plaintive song.