by William Oliver (flourished 19th century)
The last fairy See original
Language: English
There was a voice heard on the fell,
Crying so sadly, "All are gone,
And I must bid this earth farewell;
Oh why should I stay here alone?
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
*"I've sought the brake, I've sought the hill,
The haunted glen and swelling river;
I've sought the fountain, and the rill,
And all are left, and left for ever.
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
...
Each heather bell, each budding flower,
That blooms in wold, or grassy lea,
Each bosky shaw, each leafy bower,
Is tenantless by all, save me.
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
*"No more now, through the moonlit night,
With tinkling bells, and sounds of mirth,
We hie, and scare the peasant wight,
With strains by far too sweet for earth,
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
*"The new-made mother need not fear
To leave ajar the cottage door;
Alas! we never shall come near,
To change the mortal's infant more.
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
...
"In palaces beneath the lake,
Within the rock, or grassy hill,
No more the sounds of mirth we make,
But all are silent, sad, and still.
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
"Farewell the ring, where through the dance,
In winding maze, we deftly flew,
Whilst flowing hair, and dress, would glance
With sparkling gems of moonlit dew.
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
"We were ere mortals had their birth,
And long have watched their growing day;
The light now beams upon the earth,
And warns us that we must away.
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
*"Oh where are Thor and Woden now?
Where Elfin sprite and Duergar gone?
The great are fallen; we needs must bow,
I may not stay, not even alone.
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
...
"Farewell, farewell, for I must go
To other realms, to other spheres;
This mortal earth I leave with wo,
With grief, with wailing, and with tears."
Ealie, ealie, oh farewell!
Confirmed with Traditional Ballad Airs arranged and harmonized for the Pianoforte and Harmonium, from copies procured in the counties of Aberdeen, Banff, and Moray by W. Christie, M.A., and the late Wm. Christie, Monquhitter, Volume 1, Edinburgh: Edmonston & Douglas, MDCCCLXXVI (1876), pages 268-269; and The Book of Scottish Ballads, ed. Alexander Whitelaw, London: Blackie and Son, 1875, page 501.
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
Composition:
- Set to music by William Christie (1817 - 1885), "The last fairy", published 1864, stanzas 1,2,4-6,8-11,14 [ voice and piano ], Christie indicates that the following stanzas can be left out if so desired: 2,5,6,11
Text Authorship:
- by William Oliver (flourished 19th century), "The last fairy"
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Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2014-01-15
Line count: 70
Word count: 429