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’Hark! ’tis an elfin-storm from faery land,
“Of haggard seeming, but a boon indeed:
“Arise—arise! the morning is at hand;—
“The bloated wassaillers will never heed:—
“Let us away, my love, with happy speed;
“There are no ears to hear, or eyes to see,—
“Drown’d all in Rhenish and the sleepy mead:
“Awake! arise! my love, and fearless be,
“For o’er the southern moors I have a home for thee.”
Summary
The whole of this stanza is Porphyro’s speech in continuation of the preceding stanza. Porphyro said that the storm which had suddenly begun to blow seemed to have been sent by some kind fairies from fairy land for the benefit of the lovers (Porphyro and Madeline). Fairies had supernatural powers and they had especially made the storm blow to enable Madeline to run away with Porphyro, unseen. The storm seemed to be wild and fearful no doubt, but it was surely a blessing in disguise for the lovers. He asked her to get up from bed as the morning was now near and any further delay would be suicidal. He told her that all the merry-makers were sunk in sleep and would not detect their running away. Porphyro assured her that there was nobody to see their going or to hear their footsteps at that hour. He said that all the guests as well as the inmates of the castle lay dead drunk with Rhenish mead and that she should fearlessly and hurriedly get ready to accompany him to his home far away across the southern moors.