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of The Camelot Project at the University of Rochester
THE LADY OF SHALOTT
by
ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON
1833 edition 1842 edition
Part the First. Part I.
On either side the river lie On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye, Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky. That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And thro' the field the road runs by And thro' the field the road runs by
To manytowered Camelot. To many-tower'd Camelot;
The yellowleavèd waterlily, And up and down the people go,
The greensheathèd daffodilly, Gazing where the lilies blow
Tremble in the water chilly, Round an island there below,
Round about Shalott. The island of Shalott.
Willows whiten, aspens shiver, Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
The sunbeam-showers break and quiver Little breezes dusk and shiver
In the stream that runneth ever Thro' the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river, By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot. Flowing down to Camelot.
Four gray walls and four gray towers Four gray walls, and four gray towers,
Overlook a space of flowers, Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott. The Lady of Shalott.
Underneath the bearded barley, By the margin, willow-veil'd
The reaper, reaping late and early, Slide the heavy barges trail'd
Hears her ever chanting cheerly, By slow horses; and unhail'd
Like an angel, singing clearly, The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd
O'er the stream of Camelot. Skimming down to Camelot:
Piling the sheaves in furrows airy, But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Beneath the moon, the reaper weary Or at the casement seen her stand?
Listening whispers, "'tis the fairy Or is she known in all the land,
Lady of Shalott." The Lady of Shalott?
The little isle is all inrailed Only reapers, reaping early
With a rose-fence, and overtrailed In among the bearded barley,
With roses: by the marge unhailed Hear a song that echoes cheerly
The shallop flitteth silkensailed, From the river winding clearly,
Skimming down to Camelot. Down to tower'd Camelot:
A pearlgarland winds her head: And by the moon the reaper weary,
She leaneth on a velvet bed, Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Fully royally apparellèd, Listening, whispers "'Tis the fairy
The Lady of Shalott. Lady of Shalott."
Part the Second. Part II.
No time hath she to sport and play: There she weaves by night and day
A charmèd web she weaves alway. A magic web with colours gay.
A curse is on her, if she stay She has heard a whisper say,
Her weaving, either night or day, A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot. To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be; She knows not what the curse may be,
Therefore she weaveth steadily, And so she weaveth steadily,
Therefore no other care hath she, And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott. The Lady of Shalott.
She lives with little joy or fear. And moving thro' a mirror clear
Over the water, running near, That hangs before her all the year,
The sheepbell tinkles in her ear. Shadows of the world appear.
Before her hangs a mirror clear, There she sees the highway near
Reflecting towered Camelot. Winding down to Camelot:
And, as the mazy web she whirls, There the river eddy whirls,
She sees the surly village-churls, And there the surly village-churls,
And the red cloaks of market-girls, And the red cloaks of market girls,
Pass onward from Shalott. Pass onward from Shalott.
Sometimes a troop of damsels glad, Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,
An abbot on an ambling pad, An abbot on an ambling pad,
Sometimes a curly shepherd lad, Sometimes a curly shepherd-lad,
Or longhaired page, in crimson clad, Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad,
Goes by to towered Camelot. Goes by to tower'd Camelot;
And sometimes thro' the mirror blue, And sometimes thro' the mirror blue
The knights come riding, two and two. The knights come riding two and two:
She hath no loyal knight and true, She hath no loyal knight and true,
The Lady of Shalott. The Lady of Shalott.
But in her web she still delights But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights: To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often thro' the silent nights For often thro' the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, came from Camelot. And music, went to Camelot:
Or, when the moon was overhead, Or when the moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers, lately wed: Came two young lovers lately wed;
"I am half-sick of shadows," said "I am half-sick of shadows," said
The Lady of Shalott. The Lady of Shalott.
Part the Third. Part III.
A bowshot from her bower-eaves. A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He rode between the barleysheaves: He rode between the barley-sheaves,
The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves, The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves And flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of bold Sir Launcelot. Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A redcross knight for ever kneeled A redcross knight for ever kneel'd
To a lady in his shield, To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field, That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott. Beside remote Shalott.
The gemmy bridle glittered free, The gemmy bridle glitter'd free,
Like to some branch of stars we see Like to some branch of stars we see
Hung in the golden galaxy. Hung in the golden Galaxy.
The bridle-bells rang merrily, The bridle-bells rang merrily
As he rode down from Camelot. As he rode down to Camelot:
And, from his blazoned baldric slung, And from his blazon'd baldric slung
A mighty silver bugle hung, A mighty silver bugle hung,
And, as he rode, his armour rung, And as he rode his armour rung,
Beside remote Shalott. Beside remote Shalott.
All in the blue unclouded weather, All in the blue unclouded weather
Thickjewelled shone the saddle-leather. Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather,
The helmet, and the helmet-feather The helmet and the helmet-feather
Burned like one burning flame together, Burn'd like one burning flame together,
As he rode down from Camelot. As he rode down to Camelot.
As often thro' the purple night, As often thro' the purple night,
Below the starry clusters bright, Below the starry clusters bright,
Some bearded meteor, trailing light, Some bearded meteor, trailing light,
Moves over green Shalott. Moves over still Shalott.
His broad clear brow in sunlight glowed. His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
On burnished hooves his warhorse trode. On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flowed From underneath his helmet flow'd
His coalblack curls, as on he rode, His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode down from Camelot. As he rode down to Camelot.
From the bank, and from the river, From the bank and from the river
He flashed into the crystal mirror, He flash'd into the crystal mirror,
"Tirra lirra, tirra lirra," "Tirra lirra," by the river
Sang Sir Launcelot. Sang Sir Lancelot.
She left the web: she left the loom: She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces thro' the room: She made three paces thro' the room,
She saw the waterflower bloom: She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume: She saw the helmet and the plume,
She looked down to Camelot. She look'd down to Camelot.
Out flew the web, and floated wide, Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror cracked from side to side, The mirror crack'd from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me," cried "The curse is come upon me," cried
The Lady of Shalott. The Lady of Shalott.
Part the Fourth. Part IV.
In the stormy eastwind straining In the stormy east-wind straining,
The pale-yellow woods were waning, The pale-yellow woods were waning,
The broad stream in his banks complaining, The broad stream in his banks complaining,
Heavily the low sky raining Heavily the low sky raining
Over towered Camelot: Over tower'd Camelot;
Outside the isle a shallow boat Down she came and found a boat
Beneath a willow lay afloat, Beneath a willow left afloat,
Below the carven stern she wrote, And round about the prow she wrote
THE LADY OF SHALOTT. The Lady of Shalott.
A cloudwhite crown of pearl she dight.
All raimented in snowy white
That loosely flew, (her zone in sight,
Clasped with one blinding diamond bright,)
Her wide eyes fixed on Camelot,
Though the squally eastwind keenly
Blew, with folded arms serenely
By the water stood the queenly
Lady of Shalott.
With a steady, stony glance-- And down the river's dim expanse--
Like some bold seer in a trance, Like some bold seër in a trance,
Beholding all his own mischance, Seeing all his own mischance--
Mute, with a glassy countenance-- With a glassy countenance
She looked down to Camelot. Did she look to Camelot.
It was the closing of the day, And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay, She loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away, The broad stream bore her far away,
The Lady of Shalott. The Lady of Shalott.
As when to sailors while they roam, Lying, robed in snowy white
By creeks and outfalls far from home, That loosely flew to left and right--
Rising and dropping with the foam, The leaves upon her falling light--
From dying swans wild warblings come, Thro' the noises of the night
Blown shoreward; so to Camelot She floated down to Camelot:
Still as the boathead wound along And as the boat-head wound along
The willowy hills and fields among, The willowy hills and fields among,
They heard her chanting her deathsong, They heard her singing her last song,
The Lady of Shalott. The Lady of Shalott.
A longdrawn carol, mournful, holy, Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
She chanted loudly, chanted lowly, Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her eyes were darkened wholly, Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her smooth face sharpened slowly And her eyes were darken'd wholly,
Turned to towered Camelot: Turn'd to tower'd Camelot;
For ere she reached upon the tide For ere she reach'd upon the tide
The first house by the waterside, The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died, Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott. The Lady of Shalott.
Under tower and balcony, Under tower and balcony,
By gardenwall and gallery, By garden-wall and gallery,
A pale, pale corpse she floated by, A gleaming shape she floated by,
Deadcold, between the houses high, A corse between the houses high,
Dead into towered Camelot. Silent into Camelot.
Knight and burgher, lord and dame, Out upon the wharfs they came,
To the plankèd wharfage came: Knight and burgher, lord and dame,
Below the stern they read her name, And round the prow they read her name,
"The Lady of Shalott." The Lady of Shalott.
They crossed themselves, their stars they blest, Who is this? and what is here?
Knight, minstrel, abbot, squire and guest. And in the lighted palace near
There lay a parchment on her breast, Died the sound of royal cheer;
That puzzled more than all the rest, And they cross'd themselves for fear,
The wellfed wits at Camelot. All the knights at Camelot:
"The web was woven curiously But Lancelot mused a little space;
The charm is broken utterly, He said, "She has a lovely face;
Draw near and fear not--this is I, God in his mercy lend her grace,
The Lady of Shalott." The Lady of Shalott."
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