Ithoughtitrareroncethanmine。
’Andrarewouldbeitslot,Butthathebaulksitspowers:
It’sjustanearthenpotForheartsofoaklikeours。
Think!Think!——fourdaysfromthosefrontiers,AndI’ma-headfullfiftyyears。
’Ittinglestoyourscalps,Tothinkofit,myboys!
ConfusionontheirAlps,Andalltheirbabytoys!
ThemountainsBritainboastsaremen:
Andscaleyouthem,mybrethren!’
Cluck,wenthistongue;hisfingers,snap。
Britonswereprovedallheightstocap。
Andwewhoworshipp’dcrags,Wherepurplesplendoursburn’d,Ouridolsawinrags,Andrightaboutwereturn’d。
HorizonsrichwithtremblingspiresOnolettwilightslosttheirfires。
AndheightswheremorningwakesWithonecheekoversnow;-
Andiron-walledlakesWheresitsthewhitemoonlow;-
Forusonyouthfultravelbent,Therobingpicturesquewasrent。
WhereverBeautyshow’dThewondersofherface,ThismanhisJackassrode,Highdespotoftheplace。
FairdreamsofourenchantedlifeFledfastfromhisshrillislandfife。
Andyetwelikedhimwell;
Welaugh’dwithhonesthearts:-
Heshock’dsomeinnerspell,Androus’ddiscordantparts。
Weechoedwhatwehalfabjured:
Andhating,smilinglyendured。
Moreover,couldwebeToourdearlanddisloyal?
AndwerenotalsoweOfHistory’sblood-Royal?
Weglow’dtothinkhowdonkeysgrazeInEngland,thrillingattheirbrays。
ForthereamanmayewAnaspectmoresublimeThanAlpsagainsttheblue:-
ThemorningeyesofTime!
TheveryAssparticipatesThegloryFreedomradiates!
Capteonaforeignshore,FarfromIlion’shoarywave,Agamemnon’sbridalslaveSpeaksFuturitynomore:
Deathisbusywithhergrave。
Thickaswater,burstsremoteRoundherearsthealiendin,WhileherlittlesullenchinFillsthehollowsofherthroat:
Silentlieherslaughter’dkin。
Oncetomanyapealingshriek,Lo,fromIlion’stopmosttower,Ilion’sfiercepropheticflowerCriedthecomingoftheGreek!
BlackinHadessitsthehour。
EyeingphantomsofthePast,Foldedlikeaprophet’sscroll,Inthedeep’slongshorewardrollHeresheseestheanchorcast:
Backwardmoveshersunlesssoul。
Chieftains,brethrenofherjoy,Shades,thewhitelightintheireyesSlantingtoherlips,arise,CrowdingquicktheplainsofTroy:
Nowtheytellhernotshelies。
Otheblissupontheplains,WherethejoiningheroesclashedShieldandspear,and,unabashed,Challengedwithhotchariot-reinsGods!——theyglimmerocean-washed。
Alienvoicesroundtheships,Thickaswater,shoutingHome。
Arges,paleasmidnightfoam,Waxbeforeherawfullips:
Whiteasstarsthatfrontthegloom。
Likeatorch-flamethatbydayUpthedaylighttwists,and,pale,Catchesairinleapsthatfail,Crushedbytheinveterateray,ThroughhershinestheTen-Years’Tale。
Oncetomanyapealingshriek,Lo,fromIlion’stopmosttower,Ilion’sfiercepropheticflowerCriedthecomingoftheGreek!
BlackinHadessitsthehour。
StilluponhersunlesssoulGleamsthenarrowhiddenspaceForward,whereherfieryraceFaltersonitsashengoal:
StilltheFuturestrikesherface。
Seetowardtheconqueror’scarStepthepurpleQueenwhosehateWrapsred-armedherroyalmateWithhisAsiantempest-star:
NowCassandraewsherFate。
Kingofmen!theblindedhostShout:-sheliftsherbroodingchin:
GladalongthejoyousdinSmilesthegrandmajesticghost:
Clytemnestraleadshimin。
Lo,theirsmokylimbsaloof,Shadowingheavenandtheseas,FatesandFuries,tanglingThrees,Tearandmabovetheroof:
FatesandfierceEumenides。
IstheprophetesswithrodsBeaten,thatshewrithesinair?
WiththeGodswhoneverspare,WrestlingwiththeunsparingGods,Lone,herbodystrugglesthere。
Likethesnakytorch-flamewhite,Levelledasaloftittwists,She,hersoaringarms,andwristsDrooping,struggleswiththelight,Helios,brightaboveallmists!
Inhisorbsheseesthetower,Duskagainstitsflamingrims,WhereofoldherwretchedlimbsTwistedwiththestolenpower:
Iliumallthelustredims!
Otheblissupontheplains,WherethejoiningheroesclashedShieldandspear,and,unabashed,Challengedwithhotchariot-reinsGods!——theyglimmerocean-washed。
ThricetheSun-god’snameshecalls;
Shrieksthedeedthatshamesthesky;
Likeafountainleapinghigh,Fallingasafountainfalls:
Lo,theblazingwheelsgoby!
Capteonaforeignshore,FarfromIlion’shoarywave,Agamemnon’sbridalslaveSpeaksFuturitynomore:
Deathisbusywithhergrave。
THEYOUNGUSURPER
Onmydarling’sbosomHasdroppedalingrosybud,FairasbrilliantHesperAgainstthebrimmingflood。
Shehandleshim,Shedandleshim,Shefondleshimandeyeshim:
Andifuponatearhewakes,Withmanyakissshedrieshim:
Shecovetseverymovehemakes,Andneverenoughcanprizehim。
Ah,theyoungUsurper!
Iyieldmygoldenthrone:
SuchangelbandsattendhishandsToclaimitforhisown。
Theoldgreymothershethrummedonherknee:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
Andwhichofthehandsomeyoungmenshallitbe?
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Mydaughter,comehither,comehithertome:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
Come,pointmeyourfingeronhimthatyousee:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Omother,mymother,itnevercanbe:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
ForIshallbringshameonthemanmarriesme:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Nowletyourtonguebedeepasthesea:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
Andtheman’lljumpforyou,rightbrisklywillhe:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
TallMargaretweptbitterly:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
Andasherparentbadedidshe:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Othehandsomeyoungmandroppeddownonhisknee:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
PaleMargaretgavehimherhand,woe’sme!
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Omother,mymother,thisthingImustsay:
Thereisaroseinthegarden;
Ereheliesonthebreastwherethatotherlay:
Andthebirdsingsovertheroses。
Now,folly,mydaughter,formenaremen:
Thereisaroseinthegarden;
Youmarrythemblindfold,Itellyouagain:
Andthebirdsingsovertheroses。
Omother,butwhenhekissesme!
Thereisaroseinthegarden;
Mychild,’tiswhichshallsweetestbe!
Andthebirdsingsovertheroses。
Omother,butwhenIawakeinthemorn!
Thereisaroseinthegarden;
Mychild,youarehis,andtheringisworn:
Andthebirdsingsovertheroses。
TallMargaretsighedandloosenedatress:
Thereisaroseinthegarden;
PoorcomfortshehadofhercomelinessAndthebirdsingsovertheroses。
Mymotherwillsinkifthisthingbesaid:
Thereisaroseinthegarden;
Thatmyfirstbetrothedcamethricetomybed;
Andthebirdsingsovertheroses。
Hediedonmyshoulderthethirdcoldnight:
Thereisaroseinthegarden;
Idraggedhisbodyallthroughthemoonlight:
Andthebirdsingsovertheroses。
ButwhenIcamebymyfather’sdoor:
Thereisaroseinthegarden;
Ifellinalumponthestiffdeadfloor:
Andthebirdsingsovertheroses。
Oneithertoheaven,noryettohell:
Thereisaroseinthegarden;
CouldIfollowtheloverIlovedsowell!
Andthebirdsingsovertheroses。
Thebridesmaidssleptintheirchambersapart:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
TallMargaretwalkedwithherthumpingheart:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Thefrillofhernightgownbelowtheleftbreast:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
Hadfall’nlikeacloudofthemoonlightedWest:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
ButwheretheWest-cloudbreakstoastar:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
PaleMargaret’sbreastshowedawindingscar:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Ofewarethebrideswithsuchasign!
Thereisarosethat’sready;
ThoughIwentmadthefaultwasmine:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Imustspeaktohimunderthisroofto-night:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
IshallburntodeathifIspeakinthelight:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Omybreast!Imuststrikeyouabloodierwound:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
ThanwhenIscoredyouredandswooned:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Iwillstabmyhonourunderhiseye:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
ThoughIbleedtothedeath,Ishallletoutthelie:
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Ohappymybridesmaids!whitesleepiswithyou!
Thereisarosethat’sready;
Hadhechosenamongyouhemightsleeptoo!
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Ohappymybridesmaids!yourbreastsareclean:
Thereisarosethat’sready;
Youcarrynomarkofwhathasbeen!
There’sarosethat’sreadyforclipping。
Anhourbeforethechillybeam: