Sometimes she sank—sometimes she swam
Until she came to the miller’s dam
Oh, draw the dam, cried the miller’s son
Here’s either a mermaid—or a swan!
The moon’s my constant mistress
And the lovely owl—my marrow
The flaming dragon and night crow
Make me music to my sorrow
With a host of furious fancies
Whereof I am commander
With a burning spear and horse of air
To the wilderness, I wander
I’ll crow against the dog star—arf!
I’ll crow away the morning
But I’ll find mad, merry Mistral
And seek what ere betides ‘er
And I will love—beneath or above
The fairy dust that hides ‘er
True love is a durable fire
In the mind—ever burning
Never sick—never dead—never cold
From itself—never turning
Sometimes she sank—sometimes she swam Until she came to the miller’s dam Oh, draw the dam, cried the miller’s son Here’s either a mermaid—or a swan!
The moon’s my constant mistress And the lovely owl—my marrow The flaming dragon and night crow Make me music to my sorrow With a host of furious fancies Whereof I am commander With a burning spear and horse of air To the wilderness, I wander
I’ll crow against the dog star—arf! I’ll crow away the morning But I’ll find mad, merry Mistral And seek what ere betides ‘er And I will love—beneath or above The fairy dust that hides ‘er
True love is a durable fire In the mind—ever burning Never sick—never dead—never cold From itself—never turning