The Lady of Shalott lyrics

On either side the river lie

Long fields of barley and of rye

That clothe the wold and meet the sky

And thro' the field the road runs by

To many-tower'd Camelot

And up and down the people go

Gazing where the lilies blow

Round an island there below

The island of Shalott

Willows whiten, aspens quiver

Little breezes dusk and shiver

Through the wave that runs for ever

By the island in the river

Flowing down to Camelot

Four grey walls, and four grey towers

Overlook a space of flowers

And the silent isle imbowers

The Lady of Shalott

By the margin, willow veil'd

Slide the heavy barges trail'd

By slow horses; and unhail'd

The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd

Skimming down to Camelot

But who hath seen her wave her hand?

Or at the casement seen her stand?

Or is she known in all the land

The Lady of Shalott?

Only reapers, reaping early

In among the bearded barley

Hear a song that echoes cheerly

From the river winding clearly

Down to tower'd Camelot

And by the moon the reaper weary

Piling sheaves in uplands airy

Listening, whispers, " 'Tis the fairy

Lady of Shalott."

There she weaves by night and day

A magic web with colours gay

She has heard a whisper say

A curse is on her if she stay

To look down to Camelot

She knows not what the curse may be

And so she weaveth steadily

And little other care hath she

The Lady of Shalott

And moving through a mirror clear

That hangs before her all the year

Shadows of the world appear

There she sees the highway near

Winding down to Camelot

There the river eddy whirls

And there the surly village churls

And the red cloaks of market girls

Pass onward from Shalott

Sometimes a troop of damsels glad

An abbot on an ambling pad

Sometimes a curly shepherd lad

Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad

Goes by to tower'd Camelot

And sometimes through the mirror blue

The knights come riding two and two

She hath no loyal Knight and true

The Lady of Shalott

But in her web she still delights

To weave the mirror's magic sights

For often through the silent nights

A funeral, with plumes and lights

And music, went to Camelot

Or when the Moon was overhead

Came two young lovers lately wed

"I am half sick of shadows," said

The Lady of Shalott

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves

He rode between the barley sheaves

The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves

And flamed upon the brazen greaves

Of bold Sir Lancelot

A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd

To a lady in his shield

That sparkled on the yellow field

Beside remote Shalott

The gemmy bridle glitter'd free

Like to some branch of stars we see

Hung in the golden Galaxy

The bridle bells rang merrily

As he rode down to Camelot

And from his blazon'd baldric slung

A mighty silver bugle hung

And as he rode his armor rung

Beside remote Shalott

All in the blue unclouded weather

Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather

The helmet and the helmet-feather

Burn'd like one burning flame together

As he rode down to Camelot

As often thro' the purple night

Below the starry clusters bright

Some bearded meteor, burning bright

Moves over still Shalott

His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd

On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode

From underneath his helmet flow'd

His coal-black curls as on he rode

As he rode down to Camelot

From the bank and from the river

He flashed into the crystal mirror

"Tirra lirra," by the river

Sang Sir Lancelot

She left the web, she left the loom

She made three paces through the room

She saw the water-lily bloom

She saw the helmet and the plume

She look'd down to Camelot

Out flew the web and floated wide

The mirror crack'd from side to side

"The curse is come upon me," cried

The Lady of Shalott

In the stormy east-wind straining

The pale yellow woods were waning

The broad stream in his banks complaining

Heavily the low sky raining

Over tower'd Camelot

Down she came and found a boat

Beneath a willow left afloat

And around about the prow she wrote

The Lady of Shalott

And down the river's dim expanse

Like some bold seer in a trance

Seeing all his own mischance

With a glassy countenance

Did she look to Camelot

And at the closing of the day

She loosed the chain, and down she lay

The broad stream bore her far away

The Lady of Shalott

Lying, robed in snowy white

That loosely flew to left and right

The leaves upon her falling light

Thro' the noises of the night

She floated down to Camelot

And as the boat-head wound along

The willowy hills and fields among

They heard her singing her last song

The Lady of Shalott

Heard a carol, mournful, holy

Chanted loudly, chanted lowly

Till her blood was frozen slowly

And her eyes were darkened wholly

Turn'd to tower'd Camelot

For ere she reach'd upon the tide

The first house by the water-side

Singing in her song she died

The Lady of Shalott

Under tower and balc ony

By garden-wall and gallery

A gleaming shape she floated by

Dead-pale between the houses high

Silent into Camelot

Out upon the wharfs they came

Knight and Burgher, Lord and Dame

And around the prow they read her name

The Lady of Shalott

Who is this? And what is here?

And in the lighted palace near

Died the sound of royal cheer

And they crossed themselves for fear

All the Knights at Camelot

But Lancelot mused a little space

He said, "She has a lovely face

God in his mercy lend her grace

The Lady of Shalott

• Artist:Forseti
• Album:Poesie (2011)