And hear your tender voice and sweet?

Say, is it in a wizard's power

You are, and is the early bloom

Of youth to fade? Are you to sour

And wither in a dungeon's gloom?...

Or will one of my rivals seize you

And bear you off?-Nay, love, rest easy:

My head is on my shoulders still,

And this my sword I wield with skill."

One day at dusk Ruslan was riding

Along a steep and rocky shore,

The stream below in shadow hiding,

When with a whine an arrow o'er

His head flew, and behind him sounded

The clang of mail, the heavy pounding

Of hooves, a horse's piercing neigh.

"Halt!" someone shouted. "Halt, I say!"

The knight glanced round: far out afield,

With spear raised high and ready shield,

A rider galloped whistling shrilly.

Ruslan, his heart with anger filling,

His steed turned speedily about

And charged toward his grim assailant

Who met him wdth a brazen shout:

"Aha, I've caught you up, my gallant!

First taste of steel, then seek your fair!"

Now, this Ruslan could little bear;

He recognized the voice and hated

The sound of it. "How dares he! I'll-"

But where's Ludmila? For a while

Let's leave the two men; we have waited

Quite long enough, 'tis time to turn

To our dear maid now and to learn