by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956)

I saw three witches
Language: English 
I saw three witches
That bowed down like barley,
And straddled their brooms 'neath a louring1 sky,
And, mounting a storm-cloud,
Aloft on its margin,
Stood black in the silver as up they did fly.

I saw three witches
That mocked the poor sparrows
They carried in cages of wicker along,
Till a hawk from his eyrie2
Swooped down like an arrow,
Smote on the cages, and ended their song.

I saw three witches
That sailed in a shallop3,
All turning their heads with a snickering smile,
Till a bank of green osiers4
Concealed their grim faces,
Though I heard them lamenting for many a mile.

I saw three witches
Asleep in a valley,
Their heads in a row, like stones in a flood,
Till the moon, creeping upward,
Looked white through the valley,
And turned them to bushes in bright scarlet bud.

Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada and the U.S., but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.

View original text (without footnotes)
Gary Bachlund's notes: 1 Louring - a menacing or dark appearance, as also lower or "elowering." In these alternative spellings and more unusual vocabulary, de la Mare chooses to put us into the frame of a certain archaic mood, wherein language was more savory and complex in colors.
2 Eyrie - an alternative spelling for "aerie," the nest of a bird of prey, inaccesible in a high place.
3 Shallop - a light boat for rowing in shallow water, from the French, chaloupe, and originally referring to a larger masted vessel, related to the sloop.
4 Osier - any of a variety of willow trees with draping branches, from an Old French root related to an earlier Medieval Latin.

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-11-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 148