Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
England: Vols. I–IV. 1876–79.

Norham Castle

Norham Castle

By Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832)

(From Marmion)

DAY set on Norham’s castled steep,

And Tweed’s fair river, broad and deep,

And Cheviot’s mountains lone:

The battled towers, the donjon keep,

The loop-hole grates where captives weep,

The flanking walls that round it sweep,

In yellow lustre shone.

The warriors on the turrets high,

Moving athwart the evening sky,

Seemed forms of giant height:

Their armor, as it caught the rays,

Flashed back again the western blaze

In lines of dazzling light.

St. George’s banner, broad and gay,

Now faded, as the fading ray,

Less bright, and less, was flung;

The evening gale had scarce the power

To wave it on the donjon tower,

So heavily it hung.

The scouts had parted on their search,

The castle gates were barred;

Above the gloomy portal arch,

Timing his footsteps to a march,

The warder kept his guard;

Low humming, as he paced along,

Some ancient border-gathering song.