The Lady of Shalott
McKENNITT LOREENA Lyrics

On either side of the river lie
There are fields of barley and rye on both sides of the river.

Long fields of barley and of rye,
These fields stretch out for a great distance.

That clothe the world and meet the sky;
The fields cover the earth and reach up to the sky.

And thro' the field the road run by
There is a road that passes through the field.

To many-towered Camelot;
The road leads to the city of Camelot, with its many towers.

And up and down the people go,
The people are constantly moving back and forth.

Gazing where the lilies blow
They are looking towards the island where the lilies bloom.

Round an island there below,
The island is situated below their gaze.

The island of Shalott.
This is the island known as Shalott.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
The willow trees become white and the aspen trees tremble.

Little breezes dusk and shiver
The gentle breezes become faint and tremble.

Thro' the wave that runs for ever
Through the eternal flowing of the river

By the island in the river
Next to the island in the river

Flowing down to Camelot.
Which flows down towards Camelot.

Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
There are four dull-colored walls and four dull-colored towers.

Overlook a space of flowers,
They oversee a flowery area.

And the silent isle imbowers
This island is surrounded by the silent walls and towers.

The Lady of Shalott.
The Lady of Shalott resides there.

Only reapers, reaping early,
Only the reapers who harvest the crops early in the morning

In among the bearded barley
Can hear a cheerful song echoing from the barley field.

Hear a song that echoes cheerly
They hear a song that echoes happily.

From the river winding clearly
The song comes from the river, winding and flowing clearly.

Down to tower'd Camelot;
Flowing towards the tower-filled city of Camelot.

And by the moon the reaper weary,
In the moonlight, the tired reaper

Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Stacking bundles of harvested crops in the high lands.

Listening, whispers 'tis the fairy
Listens carefully and whispers that it is the fairy.

The Lady of Shalott.
He believes it to be the Lady of Shalott.

There she weaves by night and day
The Lady of Shalott weaves her magical web day and night.

A magic web with colours gay,
She weaves a colorful and enchanting web.

She has heard a whisper say,
She has heard a whisper mentioning

A curse is on her if she stay
If she looks towards Camelot, a curse will befall her.

To look down to Camelot.
If she gazes towards Camelot.

She knows not what the curse may be,
She is unaware of the exact nature of the curse.

And so she weaveth steadily,
Therefore, she continues to weave without hesitation.

And little other care hath she,
She has little concern for anything else.

The Lady of Shalott.
For she is the Lady of Shalott.

And moving through a mirror clear
She sees the world passing by through a clear mirror.

That hangs before her all the year,
The mirror hangs in front of her throughout the year.

Shadows of the world appear.
She sees the shadows of the world reflected in the mirror.

There she sees the highway near
She sees the nearby highway in the mirror.

Winding down to Camelot;
Which winds its way down towards Camelot.

And sometimes thro' the mirror blue
Sometimes, through the blue mirror

The Knights come riding two and two.
She sees the Knights riding in pairs.

She hath no loyal Knight and true,
However, she doesn't have a loyal and true Knight.

The Lady Of Shalott.
She is the Lady of Shalott.

But in her web she still delights
She still finds delight in her weaving.

To weave the mirror's magic sights,
She weaves the magical images reflected in the mirror.

For often thro' the silent nights
Because often, during the silent nights

A funeral, with plumes and lights
A funeral procession, adorned with plumes and lights

And music, went to Camelot;
Passes by on the way to Camelot, accompanied by music.

Or when the Moon was overhead,
Or when the Moon was positioned above

Came two young lovers lately wed.
She also sees two young lovers who were recently married.

"I am half sick of shadows," said
"I am fairly tired of illusions," said

The Lady Of Shalott.
The Lady of Shalott.

A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
Not far from her secluded dwelling

He rode between the barley sheaves,
Bold Sir Lancelot rides his horse through the barley field.

The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,
The bright sun shines through the leaves.

And flamed upon the brazen greaves
And ignites the polished armor

Of bold Sir Lancelot.
Worn by brave Sir Lancelot.

A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd
A knight with a red-cross on his armor always knelt

To a lady in his shield,
To a lady depicted on his shield.

That sparkled on the yellow field,
Which sparkles on the yellow background.

Beside remote Shalott.
Next to the distant Shalott.

His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
The sunlight made his wide and clear forehead glow.

On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
His war-horse's hooves shone brightly.

From underneath his helmet flow'd
His coal-black curls flowed from beneath his helmet.

His coal-black curls as on he rode,
His black curls flowing as he rode.

As he rode back to Camelot.
While he rode back towards Camelot.

From the bank and from the river
From the riverbank and the river itself

He flashed into the crystal mirror,
His reflection flashed into the clear mirror.

"Tirra Lirra," by the river
"Tirra Lirra," sang by the river

Sang Sir Lancelot.
Sir Lancelot himself sang.

She left the web, she left the loom,
The Lady of Shalott abandons her web and loom.

She made three paces taro' the room,
She took three steps across the room.

She saw the water-lily bloom,
She noticed a water-lily in full bloom.

She saw the helmet and the plume,
She saw Lancelot's helmet and his plume.

She looked down to Camelot.
She gazed down towards Camelot.

Out flew the web and floated wide;
Her web flew out and spread widely.

The mirror cracked from side to side;
The mirror cracked, breaking from one side to the other.

"The curse is come upon me," cried
"The curse has befallen me," she cried

The Lady of Shalott.
The Lady of Shalott herself.

In the stormy east-wind straining,
Struggling against the fierce east wind

The pale yellow woods were waning,
The pale yellow woods were diminishing.

The broad stream in his banks complaining.
The broad river was lamenting within its banks.

Heavily the low sky raining
The low sky heavily raining

Over towered Camelot;
Above the tower-filled Camelot.

Down she came and found a boat
She descended and discovered a boat.

Beneath a willow left afloat,
It was floating beneath a willow tree.

And round about the prow she wrote
And she wrote around the boat's front.

The Lady of Shalott
Inscribing 'The Lady of Shalott'

And down the river's dim expanse
And along the dark expanse of the river

Like some bold seer in a trance,
She appeared like a fearless prophet in a trance.

Seeing all his own mischance -
Observing his own misfortune

With a glassy countenance
With an expressionless face

Did she look to Camelot.
She directed her gaze towards Camelot.

And at the closing of the day
As the day came to an end

She loosed the chain and down she lay;
She released the chain and laid down.

The broad stream bore her far away,
The wide river carried her away.

The Lady of Shalott.
The Lady of Shalott herself.

Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
She heard a mournful and sacred carol.

Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
It was sung loudly and softly.

Till her blood was frozen slowly,
Until her blood chilled slowly.

And her eyes were darkened wholly,
Her eyes were completely darkened.

Turn'd to towered Camelot.
She turned her gaze towards tower-filled Camelot.

For ere she reach'd upon the tide
Before she reached the shore

The first house by the water-side,
The first house located by the water's edge

Singing in her song she died,
She died while singing her song.

The Lady of Shalott.
The Lady of Shalott herself.

Under tower and balcony,
Below the tower and balcony

By garden-wall and gallery,
Past the garden-wall and gallery

A gleaming shape she floated by,
She floated by, shining brightly

Dead-pale between the houses high,
Looking deathly pale among the tall houses

Silent into Camelot.
Silently entering Camelot.

Out upon the wharfs they came,
People came out onto the wharfs

Knight and Burgher, Lord and Dame,
Including knights, citizens, lords, and ladies

And round the prow they read her name,
They read her name written on the boat's front.

The Lady of Shalott.
The Lady of Shalott herself.

Who is this? And what is here?
They ask, "Who is this? And what is happening here?"

And in the lighted palace near
And in the palace that is brightly lit

Died the sound of royal cheer;
The sound of royal celebration ceased.

And they crossed themselves for fear,
People crossed themselves in fear

All the Knights at Camelot;
Including all the Knights at Camelot.

But Lancelot mused a little space
However, Lancelot pondered for a moment.

He said, "She has a lovely face;
He remarked, "She has a beautiful face."

God in his mercy lend her grace,
May God grant her mercy and grace,

The Lady of Shalott.
The Lady of Shalott herself.