The Idle Shepherd Boys

    Among the hills the echoes play

    A never never ending song，

    To welcome in the May.

    The magpie¹ chatters² with delight；

    The mountain raven's youngling brood

    Have left the mother and the nest；

    And they go rambling³ east and west

    In search of their own food；

    Or through the glittering vapors⁴ dart⁵

    In very wantonness of heart.

    Beneath a rock， upon the grass，

    Two boys are sitting in the sun；

    Their work， if any work they have，

    Is out of mind——or done.

    On pipes of sycamore they play

    The fragments of a Christmas hymn⁶；

    Or with that plant which in our dale

    We call stag-horn， or fox's tail，

    Their rusty⁷ hats they trim：

    And thus， as happy as the day，

    Those Shepherds wear the time away.

    Along the river's stony⁸ marge

    The sand-lark chants a joyous⁹ song；

    The thrush is busy in the wood，

    And carols loud and strong.

    A thousand lambs are on the rocks，

    All newly born！ both earth and sky

    Keep jubilee¹⁰， and more than all，

    Those boys with their green coronal；

    They never hear the cry，

    That plaintive¹¹ cry！ which up the hill

    Comes from the depth of Dungeon-Ghyll.

    Said Walter， leaping from the ground，

    "Down to the stump¹² of yon old yew¹³

    We'll for our whistles run a race."

    Away the shepherds flew；

    They leapt——they ran——and when they came

    Right opposite to Dungeon-Ghyll，

    Seeing that he should lose the prize，

    "Stop！ " to his comrade Walter cries——

    James stopped with no good will：

    Said Walter then， exulting¹⁴； "Here

    You'll find a task for half a year.

    Cross， if you dare， where I shall cross——

    Come on， and tread where I shall tread."

    The other took him at his word，

    And followed as he led.

    It was a spot which you may see

    If ever you to Langdale go；

    Into a chasm¹⁵ a mighty¹⁶ block

    Hath fallen， and made a bridge of rock：

    The gulf¹⁷ is deep below；

    And， in a basin black and small，

    Receives a lofty waterfall.

    With staff in hand across the cleft¹⁸

    The challenger pursued his march；

    And now， all eyes and feet， hath gained

    The middle of the arch.

    When list！ he hears a piteous moan——

    Again ！——his heart within him dies——

    His pulse is stopped， his breath is lost，

    He totters¹⁹， pallid²⁰ as a ghost，

    And， looking down， espies²¹

    A lamb， that in the pool is pent

    Within that black and frightful²² rent.

    The lamb had slipped into the stream，

    And safe without a bruise²³ or wound

    The cataract²⁴ had borne him down

    Into the gulf profound.

    His dam had seen him when he fell，

    She saw him down the torrent²⁵ borne；

    And， while with all a mother's love

    She from the lofty rocks above

    Sent forth²⁶ a cry forlorn，

    The lamb， still swimming round and round，

    Made answer to that plaintive sound.

    When he had learnt what thing it was，

    That sent this rueful cry； I ween

    The Boy recovered heart， and told

    The sight which he had seen.

    Both gladly now deferred²⁷ their task；

    Nor was there wanting other aid——

    A Poet， one who loves the brooks²⁸

    Far better than the sages²⁹' books，

    By chance had thither³⁰ strayed；

    And there the helpless lamb he found

    By those huge rocks encompassed³¹ round.

    He drew it from the troubled pool，

    And brought it forth into the light：

    The Shepherds met him with his charge，

    An unexpected sight！

    Into their arms the lamb they took，

    Whose life and limbs the flood had spared；

    Then up the steep ascent³² they hied，

    And placed him at his mother's side；

    And gently did the Bard³³

    Those idle Shepherd-Boys upbraid³⁴，

    And bade them better mind their trade.