Lyrics The Erlking - Steve Gillette

The Erlking

Who rides through the night so dark and wild?
The father rides with his own fearful child.
The boy he holds so close in his arms
He guards him safely, he keeps him warm.
Why do you hide your face as in fear?
Father, don’t you see, the Erl King is here?
He calls to me with a crown and a shroud
No, my son, that’s nothing but a passing cloud.
The Erl King beckons to the terrified boy,
You must come with me.
I’ll give you jewels and wealth untold,
You’ll walk in robes of bright and shining gold.
Father, father, do you not hear
The Erl King whispering low in my ear.
Hush now and rest ye, it’s nothing my child
But the trees in the night wind playing their melody wild.
The Erl King says, oh, come with me
And my own fair daughters will wait on thee.
A heavenly vigil o’er your cradle they’ll keep
And tenderly sing and rock you to sleep.
Father, father, see them there
The Erl King’s daughters with bright shining hair.
No, my son, there are no fair maids
Nothing but the willow that wave in the glade.
Clutching the reins in his trembling hands
With pain and dispair that he can’t understand.
Alone on the road with the stars overhead
Fearful and hopeless, the boy in his arms is dead.
To the trees in the nightwind he cries aloud
He seeks out the face of death in every passing cloud
Down in the meadow where the boys grave is laid
Nothing but the willow that wave in the glade.
Nothing but the willow that wave in the glade.