Hemelin | Robert Browning

About the Poem

        Pied Piper is the hero of a German folk legend in the Pied Piper of Hamelin by Robert Browning. He, like Bhagwan Shri Krishna, played upon his pipe. When the Pied Piper, the rats followed him, fell into river and perished. And once when he played some merry tunes on his pipe, out came little boys and girls shouting and cheering. Such was the captivating spell cast by the Piper !

Hemelin

Part-1

Into the street the Piper stept,

Smiling first a little smile,

As if he knew what magic slept

In his quiet pipe the while;

Then, like a muscial adept.

To blow the pipe his lips he wrinkled,

And green and blue his sharp eyes twinkled,

Like a candle-flame where salt is sprinkled;

And ere three shrill notes the pipe had uttered,

You heard as if an army muttered;

And the muttering grew to a grumbling;

And the grumbling grew to a mighty rumbling;

And out of the houses the rats came tumbling;

Great rats, small rats, lean rats, brawny rats,

Brown rats, black rats, gray rats, tawny rats,

Gave old plodders, gay young friskers,

Fathers, mothers, uncles, cousins,

Cocking tails and pricing whiskers,

Families by tens and dozens,

Brothers, sisters, husbands, wives -

Followed the Piper for their lives.

From street to street he piped, advancing,

And step for step they followed dancing,

Until they came to the River Weser,

Wherein all plinged and persihed !

Part-2

Once more he steps into the street

And to his lips again

Laid his long pipe of smooth, straight cane;

And ere he blew three notes (such sweet

Soft notes as yet musician's cunning

Never gave the enraptured air)

There was a rustling that seemed like a bustling

Of merry crowds justling at pitching and hustling,

Small feet were pattering, wooden shoes clattering,

Little hands clapping and little tongues chattering,

And, like fowls in a farmyard when barely is scattering,

Out came the children running.

All the little boys and girls,

With rosy cheeks and flaxen curls,

And sparkling eyes and teeth like pearls,

Tripping and skipping, ran merrily after

The wonderful music with shouting and laughter.