Choice

In my court the morning’s twilight found me; At the chase the early sun while rising, I upon the mountain—and behind it, On that mountain, ’neath a dark-green pine tree, Lo! I saw a lovely maiden sleeping; On a clover-sheaf her head was pillow’d; On her bosom lay two snowy dovelets; In her lap there was a dappled fawnkin. There I tarried till the fall of ev’ning: Bound my steed at night around the pine-tree: Bound my falcon to the pine-tree branches: Gave the sheaf of clover to my courser: Gave the two white dovelets to my falcon: Gave the dappled fawn to my good greyhound: And, for me,—I took the lovely maiden.