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