III A Spirit of noon-day is he;
          Yet seems [7] a form of flesh and blood;
          Nor piping shepherd shall he be, 25
          Nor herd-boy of the wood. [8]
          A regal vest of fur he wears,
          In colour like a raven’s wing;
          It fears not [9] rain, nor wind, nor dew;
          But in the storm ’tis fresh and blue 30
          As budding pines in spring;
          His helmet has a vernal grace,
          Fresh as the bloom upon his face.

  IV A harp is from his shoulder slung;
          Resting the harp upon his knee; 35
          To words of a forgotten tongue,
          He suits its melody. [10]
          Of flocks upon the neighbouring hill [11]
          He is the darling and the joy;
          And often, when no cause appears, 40
          The mountain-ponies prick their ears,
—­They hear the Danish Boy,
          While in the dell he sings [12] alone
          Beside the tree and corner-stone.
          [13]

  V There sits he; in his face you spy 45
          No trace of a ferocious air,
          Nor ever was a cloudless sky
          So steady or so fair. 
          The lovely Danish Boy is blest
          And happy in his flowery cove:  50
          From bloody deeds his thoughts are far;
          And yet he warbles songs of war,
          That seem [14] like songs of love,
          For calm and gentle is his mien;
          Like a dead Boy he is serene. 55

* * * * *

VARIANTS ON THE TEXT

[Variant 1: 

1836.

  ... a cottage hut; 1800.]

[Variant 2: 

1827.

  He sings his blithest and his best; 1800.

  She sings, regardless of her rest, 1820.]

[Variant 3: 

1827.

  But in ... 1800.]

[Variant 4: 

1820.

  ... his ... 1800.]

[Variant 5: 

1827.

  The bees borne on ... 1800.]

[Variant 6: 

1827.

  Nor ever linger there. 1800.]

[Variant 7: 

1836.

  He seems ... 1800.]

[Variant 8: 

1802.

  A piping Shepherd he might be,
  A Herd-boy of the wood. 1800.]

[Variant 9: 

1802.

  ... nor ... 1800.]

[Variant 10: 

1836.

  He rests the harp upon his knee,
  And there in a forgotten tongue
  He warbles melody. 1800.]

[Variant 11: 

1827.

  Of flocks and herds both far and near 1800.