FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  
ate valour was in vain; They died indeed, and that was good, But nought they gained for all the blood Poured out like water; for the foe, Men might have stayed a while ago, A match for very gods were grown, So like the field in June-tide mown The King's men fell, and but in vain The remnant strove the town to gain; Whose battlements were nought to stay An untaught foe upon that day, Though many a tale the annals told Of sieges in the days of old, When all the world then knew of war From that fair place was driven afar. As for the King, a charmed life He seemed to bear; from out that strife He came unhurt, and he could see, As down the valley he did flee With his most wretched company, His palace flaming to the sky. Then in the very midst of woe His yearning thoughts would backward go Unto the castle of the fay; He muttered, "Shall I curse that day, The last delight that I have had, For certainly I then was glad? And who knows if what men call bliss Had been much better now than this When I am hastening to the end." That fearful rest, that dreaded friend, That Death, he did not gain as yet; A band of men he soon did get, A ruined rout of bad and good, With whom within the tangled wood, The rugged mountain, he abode, And thenceforth oftentimes they rode Into the fair land once called his, And yet but little came of this, Except more woe for Heaven to see Some little added misery Unto that miserable realm: The barbarous foe did overwhelm The cities and the fertile plain, And many a peaceful man was slain, And many a maiden brought to shame. And yielded towns were set aflame; For all the land was masterless. Long dwelt the King in great distress, From wood to mountain ever tost, Mourning for all that he had lost, Until it chanced upon a day, Asleep in early morn he lay, And in a vision there did see Clad all in black, that fay lady Whereby all this had come to pass, But dim as in a misty glass: She said, "I come thy death to tell Yet now to thee may say 'farewell,' For in a short space wilt thou be Within an endless dim country Where thou may'st well win woe or bliss," Therewith she stooped his lips to kiss And vanished straightway from his sight. So waking there he sat upright And looked around, but nought could see And heard but song-birds' melody, For
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141  
142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

nought

 

mountain

 

masterless

 

aflame

 

distress

 

cities

 

Except

 
called
 

Heaven

 

thenceforth


oftentimes

 

rugged

 

misery

 

miserable

 

maiden

 

brought

 
peaceful
 

barbarous

 

overwhelm

 

Mourning


fertile

 

yielded

 

Therewith

 

stooped

 

Within

 

endless

 
country
 

melody

 

looked

 

upright


straightway

 

vanished

 

waking

 

vision

 

Whereby

 

chanced

 

Asleep

 

farewell

 
annals
 

sieges


Though
 
untaught
 

battlements

 
charmed
 

strife

 
driven
 

strove

 

Poured

 

gained

 

valour