The Lady of Shalott - Loreena McKennitt

Composed by：Alfred Lord Tennyson

On either side of the river lie

Long fields of barley and of rye

That clothe the world and meet the sky

And thro' the field the road run by

To many-towered Camelot

And up and down the people go

Gazing where the lilies flow

Round an island there below

The island of Shalott

Only reapers reaping early

In among the bearded barley

Hear a song that echoes cheerly

From the river winding clearly

Flowing down to tower'd Camelot

And by the moon the reaper weary

Piling sheaves in uplands airy

Listening whispers "'tis the fairy

The 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

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

She left the web she left the loom

She made three paces thro' the room

She saw the water-lily bloom

She saw the helmet and the plume

She looked down to Camelot

Out flew the web and floated wide

The mirror cracked 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 towered Camelot

Down she came and found a boat

Beneath a willow left afloat

And round about the prow she wrote

The Lady of Shalott

Who is this

And what is here

In the lighted palace near

Died the sound of royal cheer

And they crossed themselves for fear

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"