Page:Bohemian legends and other poems.djvu/76

The corpse lay down again in peace,
Of sleep he took another lease.

But listen! Once again the rap,
And stronger now their tap, tap, tap.

“Arise, oh dead one, from thy bier,
Open the room—the dead are here.”

And at that knock, and at that song,
The dead woke from his slumbers strong.

He stretched his stiff arm to the door,
And would perhaps have gained the floor.

“Christ save thy soul! And mercy give—
He can and will, thy sins forgive!”

“You dead one, lay you down to sleep,
God give you joy, and slumber deep.”

The corpse he stretched him out again,
And stiffly lay as he had lain.

And once again that awful rap—
Her head reeled as she heard that tap.

“Arise, oh dead one, from thy bier,
Give us the living—do you hear?”

Alas! alas! poor maiden mine,
The dead are here, for the third time.

The dead stares from his sunken eyes,
He looks to where the maiden lies.

“Mary! Mother of God, be near!
Pray, to thy son, I fear, I fear!

“The prayer I prayed it was not right,
Forgive me! Save me in thy might.