FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35  
36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   >>   >|  
mayhap, what greatness is. 1841. * This ballad was written at Paris at the time of the Second Funeral of Napoleon. ABD-EL-KADER AT TOULON. OR, THE CAGED HAWK. No more, thou lithe and long-winged hawk, of desert-life for thee; No more across the sultry sands shalt thou go swooping free: Blunt idle talons, idle beak, with spurning of thy chain, Shatter against thy cage the wing thou ne'er may'st spread again. Long, sitting by their watchfires, shall the Kabyles tell the tale Of thy dash from Ben Halifa on the fat Metidja vale; How thou swept'st the desert over, bearing down the wild El Riff, From eastern Beni Salah to western Ouad Shelif; How thy white burnous welit streaming, like the storm-rack o'er the sea, When thou rodest in the vanward of the Moorish chivalry; How thy razzia was a whirlwind, thy onset a simoom, How thy sword-sweep was the lightning, dealing death from out the gloom! Nor less quick to slay in battle than in peace to spare and save, Of brave men wisest councillor, of wise councillors most brave; How the eye that flashed destruction could beam gentleness and love, How lion in thee mated lamb, how eagle mated dove! Availed not or steel or shot 'gainst that charmed life secure, Till cunning France, in last resource, tossed up the golden lure; And the carrion buzzards round him stooped, faithless, to the cast, And the wild hawk of the desert is caught and caged at last. Weep, maidens of Zerifah, above the laden loom! Scar, chieftains of Al Elmah, your cheeks in grief and gloom! Sons of the Beni Snazam, throw down the useless lance, And stoop your necks and bare your backs to yoke and scourge of France! Twas not in fight they bore him down; he never cried aman; He never sank his sword before the PRINCE OF FRANGHISTAN; But with traitors all around him, his star upon the wane, He heard the voice of ALLAH, and he would not strive in vain. They gave him what he asked them; from king to king he spake, As one that plighted word and seal not knoweth how to break; "Let me pass from out my deserts, be't mine own choice where to go, I brook no fettered life to live, a captive and a show." And they promised, and he trusted them, and proud and calm he came, Upon his black mare riding, girt with his sword of fame. Good steed, good sword, he rendered both unto the Frankish throng; He knew them false and
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35  
36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

desert

 

France

 

scourge

 

greatness

 

PRINCE

 

resource

 
ballad
 

tossed

 
golden
 
Zerifah

maidens

 
stooped
 
faithless
 

caught

 
chieftains
 

Snazam

 
useless
 

cheeks

 
buzzards
 

FRANGHISTAN


carrion

 
promised
 

trusted

 

captive

 

choice

 

fettered

 

Frankish

 

throng

 

rendered

 

riding


strive

 

traitors

 

mayhap

 
deserts
 
plighted
 

knoweth

 

Napoleon

 

Halifa

 

Kabyles

 

sitting


watchfires

 

eastern

 
Second
 

bearing

 
Metidja
 
Funeral
 

spread

 
sultry
 
winged
 

TOULON