By alfred
one I The wind was a torrent of darkness the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed cloudy seas, The was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor, And the highwayman came The highwayman riding, up to the old inn-door.
Ii a french cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin, A coat of the claret velvet, and of brown doe-skin; They fitted never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh! And he rode a jewelled twinkle, His butts a-twinkle, His hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.
Iii Over the he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard, And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was and barred; He a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there But the black-eyed daughter, Bess, the daughter, Plaiting a red love-knot into her long black hair.
Iv And dark in the old inn-yard a creaked Where tim the ostler listened; his face was white and His eyes were hollows of madness, his like mouldy hay, But he the landlord's daughter, The landlord's daughter, as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say-
V "one kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a to-night, But I shall be back the yellow gold before the morning light; Yet, if press me sharply, and harry me through the day, Then for me by moonlight, for me by moonlight, I'll come to thee by moonlight, hell should bar the way."
Vi He rose upright in the he scarce could reach her hand, But she loosened her hair i' the casement! his face burnt a brand As the black cascade of came tumbling over his breast; And he kissed waves in the moonlight, (oh, sweet black in the moonlight!) Then he tugged at his in the moonlight, and galloped away to the west.
two I He did not come in the he did not come at noon; And out o' the tawny sunset, the rise o' the moon, When the road was a ribbon, looping the purple moor, A red-coat troop marching- King men came marching, up to the old inn-door.
Ii They said no word to the landlord, they his ale instead, But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her bed; Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at side! There was death at window; And hell at one dark For bess could see, the casement, the road that he would ride.
Iii had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest; They bound a musket her, with the barrel beneath her breast! "now keep good watch!" and they her. She heard the man say- Look for me by Watch for me by I'll come to thee by moonlight, though should bar the way!
Iv She her hands behind her; but all the knots held good! She writhed her hands till here fingers were wet with or blood! They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the crawled by like Years, Till, now, on the of midnight, Cold, on the of midnight, The tip of one finger touched it! the trigger at was hers!
V The tip of one finger it; she strove no more for the rest! Up, she stood up to attention, the barrel beneath her breast, She would not risk hearing; she would not strive again; For the road lay bare in the Blank and bare in the And the blood of her veins in the moonlight to her love's refrain.
Vi Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! had heard it? the horse-hoofs clear; Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? were they deaf they did Not Down the of moonlight, over the brow of the hill, The highwayman riding, Riding, riding! The looked to their priming! she stood up strait and still!
Vii Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! tlot-tlot, in the night ! Nearer he came and nearer! her face was a light! Her grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath, Then her moved in the moonlight, Her shattered the moonlight, Shattered her breast in the moonlight and him-with her death.
He turned; he spurred to the west; he did not know who Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched her own red blood! Not till the dawn he heard it, his grew grey to hear How bess, the daughter, The landlord's daughter, Had watched for her in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.
Ix Back, he like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky, With the white road smoking behind him and his brandished high! Blood-red were his i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat, When they him down on the highway, Down a dog on the highway, And he lay in his blood on the highway, a bunch of lace at his throat.
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X And still of a winter's night, say, when the wind is in the trees, the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, When the road is a ribbon of moonlight the purple moor, A comes riding- A highwayman riding, up to the old inn-door.
Xi Over the he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard, And he taps his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred; He whistles a tune to the window, and who be waiting there But the landlord's daughter, Bess, the daughter, Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long hair.
By alfred noyes and ochs C em The wind was a torrent of Am the gusty trees Em f The was a ghostly galleon Dm g7 upon cloudy seas C em And the was a ribbon of moonlight Am Over the purple F c e am And the came riding, riding, riding F c Yes, the highwayman came Dm g7 Up to the old inn Over the cobbles he And in the darkened yard And he with his whip at the window But all was and barred So he whistled a to the window And who should be there But the landlord's eyed daughter Bess the daughter a dark red love knot Into her long black One kiss, my sweetheart For I'm a prize tonight But I be back with the yellow gold Before the morning Yet if press me sharply Harry me the day Oh, then look for me by for me by moonlight And I'll come to thee by hell should bar the way He did not come at the No, he did not come at the And out of the sunset Before the rise of the When the road was a gypsy's Looping the purple Oh a redcoat troop came marching, marching, King men came marching Up to the old inn And they the landlord's daughter With many a sniggering And bound the musket beside her the barrel beneath her breast Now keep watch and they kissed her She the dead man say "oh for me by moonlight for me by moonlight And I'll to thee by moonlight Though hell bar the way" Look for me by Hoof beats clear Watch for me by Were they deaf that did not hear For he rode on the highway She breathed one breath Then her moved in the moonlight Her shattered the moonlight And it shattered her breast in the And him with her death Oh he turned; he spurred on to the He did not know who Out with her black hair a flowing with her own red blood Oh not 'til the dawn had he it And his face grew to hear How bess the landlord's The landlord's eyed daughter Had watched for her in the moonlight And died in the darkness C em Back he spurred like a Am a curse to the sky Em f With the white road smoking him Dm g And his rapier brandished C em red were his spurs in the golden noon Am Wine red his velvet F c When shot him down on the highway E am Down a dog on the highway F c And he lay in his blood on the F g With a of lace at his throat And on a winter's night they say When the is in the trees When the moon is a galleon Tossed upon cloudy When the road is a of moonlight Over the moor Oh the highwayman riding, riding, riding Yes the highwayman riding Up to the old inn door.