Читать книгу Poems in Two Volumes, Volume 1 - William Wordsworth - Страница 3

  A barking sound the Shepherd hears,

  A cry as of a Dog or Fox;

  He halts, and searches with his eyes

  Among the scatter'd rocks:

  And now at distance can discern

  A stirring in a brake of fern;

  From which immediately leaps out

  A Dog, and yelping runs about.

  The Dog is not of mountain breed;

  It's motions, too, are wild and shy; 10

  With something, as the Shepherd thinks,

  Unusual in its' cry:

  Nor is there any one in sight

  All round, in Hollow or on Height;

  Nor shout, nor whistle strikes his ear;

  What is the Creature doing here?

  It was a Cove, a huge Recess,

  That keeps till June December's snow;

  A lofty Precipice in front,

  A silent Tarn [1] below! 20

  Far in the bosom of Helvellyn,

  Remote from public Road or Dwelling,

  Pathway, or cultivated land;

  From trace of human foot or hand.

  There, sometimes does a leaping Fish

  Send through the Tarn a lonely chear;

  The Crags repeat the Raven's croak,

  In symphony austere;

  Thither the Rainbow comes, the Cloud;

  And Mists that spread the flying shroud; 30

  And Sun-beams; and the sounding blast,

  That, if it could, would hurry past,

  But that enormous Barrier binds it fast.

  Not knowing what to think, a while

  The Shepherd stood: then makes his way

  Towards the Dog, o'er rocks and stones,

  As quickly as he may;

  Nor far had gone before he found

  A human skeleton on the ground,

  Sad sight! the Shepherd with a sigh 40

  Looks round, to learn the history.

  From those abrupt and perilous rocks,

  The Man had fallen, that place of fear!

  At length upon the Shepherd's mind

  It breaks, and all is clear:

  He instantly recall'd the Name,

  And who he was, and whence he came;

  Remember'd, too, the very day

  On which the Traveller pass'd this way.

  But hear a wonder now, for sake 50

  Of which this mournful Tale I tell!

  A lasting monument of words

  This wonder merits well.

  The Dog, which still was hovering nigh,

  Repeating the same timid cry,

  This Dog had been through three months' space

  A Dweller in that savage place.

  Yes, proof was plain that since the day

  On which the Traveller thus had died

  The Dog had watch'd about the spot, 60

  Or by his Master's side:

  How nourish'd here through such long time

  He knows, who gave that love sublime,

  And gave that strength of feeling, great

  Above all human estimate.