ch, and the hour of its kind,
And precious the seed of his life in a wise man's mind;
But all save life for his life will a base man give.
But a life that is given for the life of the whole live
land, [_Str._ 4.
From a heart unspotted a gift of a spotless hand,
Of pure will perfect and free, for the land's life's sake,
What man shall fear not to put forth his hand and take?
For the fruit of a sweet life plucked in its pure green
prime [_Ant._ 4.
On his hand who plucks is as blood, on his soul as crime.
With cursing ye buy not blessing, nor peace with strife, 800
And the hand is hateful that chaffers with death for life.
Hast thou heard, O my heart, and endurest [_Str._ 5.
The word that is said,
What a garland by sentence found surest
Is wrought for what head?
With what blossomless flowerage of sea-foam and blood-coloured
foliage inwound
It shall crown as a heifer's for slaughter the forehead for
marriage uncrowned?
How the veils and the wreaths that should cover [_Ant._ 5.
The brows of the bride
Shall be shed by the breath of what lover 810
And scattered aside?
With a blast of the mouth of what bridegroom the crowns shall
be cast from her hair,
And her head by what altar made humble be left of them naked
and bare?
At a shrine unbeloved of a God unbeholden a gift shall be given
for the land, [_Str._ 6.
That its ramparts though shaken with clamour and horror of
manifold waters may stand;
That the crests of its citadels crowned and its turrets that
thrust up their heads to the sun
May behold him unblinded with darkness of waves overmastering
their bulwarks begun.
As a bride shall they bring her, a prey for the bridegroom, a
flower for the couch of her lord; [_Ant._ 6.
They shall muffle her mouth that she cry not or curse them,
and cover her eyes from the sword.
They shall fasten her lips as with bit and with bridle, and
darken the light of her face, 820
That the soul of the slayer may not falter, his heart be not
mo