55893: An Old Song

<p dir="ltr"> The sun set, the wind fell, the sea<br> Was like a mirror shaking:<br> The one small wave that clapped the land<br> A mile-long snake of foam was making<br> Where tide had smoothed and wind had dried<br> The vacant sand.<br> A light divided the swollen clouds<br> And lay most perfectly<br> Like a straight narrow footbridge bright<br> That crossed over the sea to me;<br> And no one else in the whole world<br> Saw that same sight.<br> I walked elate, my bridge always<br> Just one step from my feet:<br> A robin sang, a shade in shade:<br> And all I did was to repeat:<br> 'I'll go no more a-roving<br> With you, fair maid.'<br> The sailors' song of merry loving<br> With dusk and sea-gull's mewing<br> Mixed sweet, the lewdness far outweighed<br> By the wild charm the chorus played:<br> 'I'll go no more a-roving<br> With you, fair maid:<br> A-roving, a-roving, since roving's been my ruin,<br> I'll go no more a-roving with you, fair maid.'<br> In Amsterdam there dwelt a maid---<br> Mark well what I do say---<br> In Amsterdam there dwelt a maid<br> And she was a mistress of her trade:<br> I'll go no more a-roving<br> With you, fair maid:<br> A-roving, a-roving, since roving's been my ruin,<br> I'll go no more a-roving with you, fair maid.<br></p>