Page:Early poems of William Morris.djvu/241

 But the battle was scatter'd from hill to hill,

From the windmill to the watermill;

And he said to himself, as it near'd the noon,

Two red roses across the moon.

You scarce could see for the scarlet and blue,

A golden helm or a golden shoe;

So he cried, as the fight grew thick at the noon,

Two red roses across the moon!

Verily then the gold bore through

The huddled spears of the scarlet and blue;

And they cried, as they cut them down at the noon,

Two red roses across the moon!

I trow he stopp'd when he rode again

By the hall, though draggled sore with the rain;

And his lips were pinch'd to kiss at the noon

Two red roses across the moon.

Under the may she stoop'd to the crown,

All was gold, there was nothing of brown;

And the horns blew up in the hall at noon,

Two red roses across the moon.



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