Part 4 — CHARLES KINGSLEY

AIRLY Beacon, Airly Beacon; O the pleasant sight to see Shires and towns from Airly Beacon, While my love climb’d up to me! Airly Beacon, Airly Beacon; O the happy hours we lay Deep in fern on Airly Beacon, Courting through the summer’s day! Airly Beacon, Airly Beacon; O the weary haunt for me, All alone on Airly Beacon, With his baby on my knee!

‘O MARY, go and call the cattle home, And call the cattle home, And call the cattle home, Across the sands of Dee.’ The western wind was wild and dark with foam, And all alone went she. The western tide crept up along the sand, And o’er and o’er the sand, And round and round the sand, As far as eye could see. The rolling mist came down and hid the land: And never home came she. ‘O is it weed, or fish, or floating hair— A tress of golden hair, A drownèd maiden’s hair, Above the nets at sea?’ Was never salmon yet that shone so fair Among the stakes of Dee. They row’d her in across the rolling foam, The cruel crawling foam, The cruel hungry foam, To her grave beside the sea. But still the boatmen hear her call the cattle home, Across the sands of Dee.