large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb_46
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
Then Eldred of the idle farm Leaned on his ancient sword, As fell his heavy words and few; And his eyes were of such alien blue As gleams where the Northman saileth new Into an unknown fiord. THEN ELDRED OF THE IDLE FARM LEANED ON HIS HEAVY SWORD AS FELL WITH HEAVY WORDS AND FEW AND HIS EYES WERE OF SUCH ALIEN BLUE AS GLEAMS WHERE THE NORTH MAN SAILETH NEW INTO AN UNKNOWN FORD
. And when white dawn crawled through the wood, Like cold foam of a flood, Then weakened every warrior's mood, In hope, though not in hardihood; And each man sorrowed as he stood In the fashion of his blood. For the Saxon Franklin sorrowed For the things that had been fair; For the dear dead woman, crimson-clad, And the great feasts and the friends he had; But the Celtic prince's soul was sad For the things that never were. In the eyes Italian all things But a black laughter died; And Alfred flung his shield to earth And smote his breast and cried-- "I wronged a man to his slaying, And a woman to her shame, And once I looked on a sworn maid That was wed to the Holy Name. "And once I took my neighbour's wife, That was bound to an eastland man, In the starkness of my evil youth, Before my griefs began. "People, if you have any prayers, Say prayers for me: And lay me under a Christian stone In that lost land I thought my own, To wait till the holy horn is blown, And all poor men are free. NIGHT DESPAIR GREW WITH THE DAY AND WHEN WHITE DAWN CRAWLED THROUGH THE WOOD LIKE COLD FOAM OF A FLOOD THEN WEAKENED EVERY WARRIOR'S MOOD IN HOPE THOUGH NOT IN HARDIHOOD AND EACH MAN SORROWED AS HE STOOD IN THE FASHION OF HIS BLOOD FOR THE SAXON FRANKLIN SORROWED FOR THE THINGS THAT HAD BEEN FAIR FOR THE DEAR DEAD WOMAN CRIMSON CLAD AND THE GREAT FEASTS AND THE FRIENDS HE HAD BUT THE CELTIC PRINCE'S SOUL WAS SAD FOR THE THINGS THAT NEVER WERE IN THE EYES ITALIAN ALL THINGS BUT A BLACK LAUGHTER DIED AND ALFRED FLUNG HIS SHIELD TO EARTH AND SMOTE HIS BREAST AND CRIED I WRONGED A MAN TO HIS SLAYING AND A WOMAN TO HER SHAME AND ONCE I LOOKED ON A SWORN MAID THAT WAS WED TO THE HOLY NAME AND ONCE I TOOK MY NEIGHBOUR'S WIFE THAT WAS BOUND TO AN EASTLAND MAN IN THE STARKNESS OF MY EVIL YOUTH BEFORE MY GRIEFS BEGAN PEOPLE IF YOU HAVE ANY PRAYERS SAY PRAYERS FOR ME AND LAY ME UNDER A CHRISTIAN STONE IN THAT LOST LAND I THOUGHT MY OWN TO WAIT TILL THE HOLY HORN IS BLOWN AND ALL POOR MEN ARE FREE
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb.flac