The Lady of Shalott (Live From The Palace Of Fine Arts, United States / 1994)

On either side of the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye
That clothe the world and meet the sky
Through the field the road run by

To many-towered Camelot

And up and down the people go
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below
The island of Shalott

Willows whiten, aspens quiver
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river

Flowing down to Camelot

Four grey walls, and four grey towers
Overlook a space of flowers
And the silent isle imbowers
The lady of Shalott

Only reapers, reaping early
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly

Flowing down to Camelot

And by the moon the reapers' weary
Piling sheaves in uplands airy
Listening, whispers "'Tis the fairy
The lady of Shalott"

There she weaves both night and day
A magic web with colours gay
She has heard a whisper say
A curse is on her if she stay

To look down to Camelot

She knows not what the curse may be
And so she weaveth steadily
And little other care hath she
The lady of Shalott

But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights
For often through the silent nights
A funeral with plumes and lights

And music went to Camelot

And when the Moon was overhead
Came two young lovers lately wed
"I am half sick of shadows," she said
The lady Of Shalott

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves
He rode between the barley sheaves
The sun came dazzling through the leaves
Flamed upon the brazen greaves

Of bold Sir. Lancelot

A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd
To a lady in his shield
That sparkled on the yellow field
Beside remote Shalott

His broad clear brow in sunlight glowed
On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode
From underneath his helmet flowed
His coal-black curls as on he rode

As he rode back to Camelot

From the bank and from the river
He flashed into the crystal mirror
"Tirra Lirra," by the river
Sang, sir Lancelot

She left the web, she left the loom
She made three paces through the room
She saw the water-lily bloom
She saw the helmet and the plume

She looked to Camelot

Out flew the web and floated wide
The mirror cracked from side to side
"The curse is come upon me," cried
The lady of Shalott

In the stormy east-wind straining
The pale yellow woods were waning
The broad stream in his banks complaining
Heavily the low sky raining

Over towered Camelot

Down she came and found a boat
Beneath a willow left afloat
And round about the prow she wrote
The lady of Shalott

And in the river's dim expanse
Like some bold seer in a trance
Seeing all his own mischance
With a glassy countenance

She looked to Camelot

And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain and down she lay
The broad stream bore her far away
The lady of Shalott

Who is this? and what is here?
In the lighted palace near
Died the sound of royal cheer
They crossed themselves for fear

The knights at Camelot

But Lancelot mused a little space
He said, "She has a lovely face
God in his mercy lend her grace
The lady of Shalott"