La Belle Dame sans Merci

O what can ail thee knight at arms Alone and palely loitering? The sedge has wither'd from the lake And no birds sing O What can ail thee knight at arms So haggard and so woe-begone? The squirrel's granary is full And the harvest's done I see a lily on thy brow With anguish moist and fever dew And on thy cheeks a fading rose Fast withereth too I met a lady in the meads Full beautiful a fairy's child; Her hair was long her foot was light And her eyes were wild I made a garland for her head And bracelets too and fragrant zone; She look'd at me as she did love And made sweet moan I set her on my pacing steed And nothing else saw all day long For sidelong would she bend and sing A fairy's song She found me roots of relish sweet And honey wild and manna dew And sure in language strange she said I love thee true She took me to her elfin grot And there she wept and sigh'd full sore And there I shut her wild wild eyes With kisses four And there she lulled me asleep And there I dream'd Ah! woe betide! The latest dream I ever dream'd On the cold hill's side I saw pale kings and princes too Pale warriors death pale were they all; They cried La belle dame sans merci Hath thee in thrall! I saw their starv'd lips in the gloam With horrid warning gaped wide And I awoke and found me here On the cold hill's side And this is why I sojourn here Alone and palely loitering Though the sedge is wither'd from the lake And no birds sing