Thomas The Rhymer Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: A B CDED FGGG HGG IGIG IGJ KGJG IGL IIMI GIII NGOG IOOO IGOG IPIQ MOI GOGO IORP GPO IPSP P I TGIG I GUCU IPIP VPIP O WP WPGP P P IPIP OIII GPGP IPGPG IPIP IPI GPI KIXI GGGG GPKPK PPG GPYP OPI I GIGI GZKZ IPIP GPGP GPGP IGIG MPPP PVPV GPGP IA2IA2 PPPP IPIP IIII IPart First | A |
- | |
Ancient | B |
- | |
True Thomas lay on Huntlie bank | C |
A ferlie he spied wi' his ee | D |
And there he saw a lady bright | E |
Come riding down by the Eildon Tree | D |
- | |
Her skirt was o the grass green silk | F |
Her mantle o the velvet fyne | G |
At ilka tett of her horse's mane | G |
Hang fifty siller bells and nine | G |
- | |
True Thomas he pulld aff his cap | H |
And louted low down to his knee | G |
'All hail thou mighty Queen of Heaven | G |
For thy peer on earth I never did see ' | - |
- | |
'O no O no Thomas ' she said | I |
'That name does not belang to me | G |
I am but the queen of fair Elfland | I |
That am hither come to visit thee | G |
- | |
'Harp and carp Thomas ' she said | I |
'Harp and carp along wi' me | G |
And if ye dare to kiss my lips | J |
Sure of your bodie I will be ' | - |
- | |
'Betide me weal betide me woe | K |
That weird sall never daunton me | G |
Syne he has kissed her rosy lips | J |
All underneath the Eildon Tree | G |
- | |
'Now ye maun go wi me ' she said | I |
'True Thomas ye maun go wi me | G |
And ye maun serve me seven years | L |
Thro weal or woe as may chance to be ' | - |
- | |
She mounted on her milk white steed | I |
She's taen True Thomas up behind | I |
And aye wheneer her bride rung | M |
The steed flew swifter than the wind | I |
- | |
O they rade on and farther on | G |
The steed gaed swifter than the wind | I |
Until they reached a desart wide | I |
And living land was left behind | I |
- | |
'Light down light down now True Thomas | N |
And lean your head upon my knee | G |
Abide and rest a little space | O |
And I will shew you ferlies three | G |
- | |
'O see ye not yon narrow road | I |
So thick beset with thorns and briers | O |
That is the path of righteousness | O |
Tho after it but few enquires | O |
- | |
'And see ye not that braid braid road | I |
That lies across that lily leven | G |
That is the path of wickedness | O |
Tho some call it the road to heaven | G |
- | |
'And see not ye that bonny road | I |
That winds about the fernie brae | P |
That is the road to fair Elfland | I |
Where thou and I this night maun gae | Q |
- | |
'But Thomas ye maun hold your tongue | M |
Whatever ye may hear or see | O |
For if you speak word in Elflyn land | I |
Ye'll neer get back to your ain countrie ' | - |
- | |
O they rade on and farther on | G |
And they waded thro rivers aboon the knee | O |
And they saw neither sun nor moon | G |
But they heard the roaring of the sea | O |
- | |
It was mirk mirk night and there was nae stern light | I |
And they waded thro red blude to the knee | O |
For a' the blude that's shed an earth | R |
Rins thro the springs o that countrie | P |
- | |
Syne they came on to a garden green | G |
And she pu'd an apple frae a tree | P |
'Take this for thy wages True Thomas | O |
It will give the tongue that can never lie ' | - |
- | |
'My tongue is mine ain ' True Thomas said | I |
'A gudely gift ye wad gie me | P |
I neither dought to buy nor sell | S |
At fair or tryst where I may be | P |
- | |
'I dought neither speak to prince or peer | P |
Nor ask of grace from fair ladye ' | - |
'Now hold thy peace ' the lady said | I |
'For as I say so must it be ' | - |
- | |
He has gotten a coat of the even cloth | T |
And a pair of shoes of velvet green | G |
And till seven years were gane and past | I |
True Thomas on earth was never seen | G |
- | |
- | |
Part Second | I |
- | |
- | |
When seven years were come and gane | G |
The sun blink'd fair on pool and stream | U |
And Thomas lay on Huntlie bank | C |
Like one awaken'd from a dream | U |
- | |
He heard the trampling of a steed | I |
He saw the flash of armour flee | P |
And he beheld a gallant knight | I |
Come riding down by the Eildon Tree | P |
- | |
He was a stalwart knight and strong | V |
Of giant make he 'pear'd to be | P |
He stirr'd his horse as he were wode | I |
Wi' gilded spurs of faushion free | P |
- | |
Says 'Well met well met true Thomas | O |
Some uncouth ferlies show to me ' | - |
Says 'Christ thee save Corspatrick brave | W |
Thrice welcome good Dunbar to me | P |
- | |
'Light down light down Corspatrick brave | W |
And I will show thee curses three | P |
Shall gar fair Scotland greet and grane | G |
And change the green to the black livery | P |
- | |
'A storm shall roar this very hour | P |
From Ross's hills to Solway sea ' | - |
'Ye lied ye lied ye warlock hoar | P |
For the sun shines sweet on fauld and lee ' | - |
- | |
He put his hand on the Earlie's head | I |
He show'd him a rock beside the sea | P |
Where a king lay stiff beneath his steed | I |
And steel dight nobles wiped their ee | P |
- | |
'The neist curse lights on Branxton hills | O |
By Flodden's high and heathery side | I |
Shall wave a banner red as blude | I |
And chieftains throng wi' meikle pride | I |
- | |
'A Scottish King shall come full keen | G |
The ruddy lion beareth he | P |
A feather'd arrow sharp I ween | G |
Shall make him wink and warre to see | P |
- | |
'When he is bloody and all to bledde | I |
Thus to his men he still shall say | P |
'For God's sake turn ye back again | G |
And give yon southern folk a fray | P |
Why should I lose the right is mine | G |
My doom is not to die this day ' | - |
- | |
'Yet turn ye to the eastern hand | I |
And woe and wonder ye sall see | P |
How forty thousand spearmen stand | I |
Where yon rank river meets the sea | P |
- | |
'There shall the lion lose the gylte | I |
And the libbards bear it clean away | P |
At Pinkyn Cleuch there shall be spilt | I |
Much gentil bluid that day ' | - |
- | |
'Enough enough of curse and ban | G |
Some blessings show thou now to me | P |
Or by the faith o' my bodie ' Corspatrick said | I |
'Ye shall rue the day ye e'er saw me ' | - |
- | |
'The first of blessings I shall thee show | K |
Is by a burn that's call'd of bread | I |
Where Saxon men shall tine the bow | X |
And find their arrows lack the head | I |
- | |
'Beside that brigg out ower that burn | G |
Where the water bickereth bright and sheen | G |
Shall many a fallen courser spurn | G |
And knights shall die in battle keen | G |
- | |
'Beside a headless cross of stone | G |
The libbards there shall lose the gree | P |
The raven shall come the erne shall go | K |
And drink the Saxon bluid sae free | P |
The cross of stone they shall not know | K |
So thick the corses there shall be ' | - |
- | |
'But tell me now ' said brave Dunbar | P |
'True Thomas tell now unto me | P |
What man shall rule the isle of Britain | G |
Even from the north to the southern sea ' | - |
- | |
'A French Queen shall bear the son | G |
Shall rule all Britain to the sea | P |
He of the Bruce's blood shall come | Y |
As near as in the ninth degree | P |
- | |
'The waters worship shall his race | O |
Likewise the waves of the farthest sea | P |
For they shall ride over ocean wide | I |
With hempen bridles and horse of tree ' | - |
- | |
- | |
Part Third | I |
- | |
- | |
When seven years more were come and gone | G |
Was war through Scotland spread | I |
And Ruberslaw show'd high Dunyon | G |
His beacon blazing red | I |
- | |
Then all by bonny Coldingknow | G |
Pitch'd palliouns took their room | Z |
And crested helms and spears a rowe | K |
Glanced gaily through the broom | Z |
- | |
The Leader rolling to the Tweed | I |
Resounds the ensenzie | P |
They roused the deer from Caddenhead | I |
To distant Torwoodlee | P |
- | |
The feast was spread in Ercildoune | G |
In Learmont's high and ancient hall | P |
And there were knights of great renown | G |
And ladies laced in pall | P |
- | |
Nor lacked they while they sat at dine | G |
The music nor the tale | P |
Nor goblets of the blood red wine | G |
Nor mantling quaighs of ale | P |
- | |
True Thomas rose with harp in hand | I |
When as the feast was done | G |
In minstrel strife in Fairy Land | I |
The elfin harp he won | G |
- | |
Hush'd were the throng both limb and tongue | M |
And harpers for envy pale | P |
And arm'd lords lean'd on their swords | P |
And hearken'd to the tale | P |
- | |
In numbers high the witching tale | P |
The prophet pour'd along | V |
No after bard might e'er avail | P |
Those numbers to prolong | V |
- | |
Yet fragments of the lofty strain | G |
Float down the tide of years | P |
As buoyant on the stormy main | G |
A parted wreck appears | P |
- | |
He sung King Arthur's Table Round | I |
The Warrior of the Lake | A2 |
How courteous Gawaine met the wound | I |
And bled for ladies' sake | A2 |
- | |
But chief in gentle Tristrem's praise | P |
The notes melodious swell | P |
Was none excell'd in Arthur's days | P |
The knight of Lionelle | P |
- | |
For Marke his cowardly uncle's right | I |
A venom'd wound he bore | P |
When fierce Morholde he slew in fight | I |
Upon the Irish shore | P |
- | |
No art the poison might withstand | I |
No medicine could be found | I |
Till lovely Isolde's lily hand | I |
Had probed the rankling wound | I |
- | |
With gentle hand and soothing t | I |
Sir Walter Scott
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Thomas The Rhymer poem by Sir Walter Scott
Best Poems of Sir Walter Scott