large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_03_chesterton_64kb_3
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_03_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
"That on you is fallen the shadow, And not upon the Name; That though we scatter and though we fly, And you hang over us like the sky, You are more tired of victory, Than we are tired of shame. "That though you hunt the Christian man Like a hare on the hill side, The hare has still more heart to run Than you have heart to ride. "That though all lances split on you, All swords be heaved in vain, We have more lust again to lose Than you to win again. THAT ON YOU IS FALLEN THE SHADOW AND NOT UPON THE NAME THAT THOUGH WE SCATTER AND THOUGH WE FLY AND YOU HANG OVER US LIKE THE SKY YOU ARE MORE TIRED OF VICTORY THAN WE ARE OF SHAME THAT THOUGH YOU HUNT THE CHRISTIAN MEN LIKE A HARE ON THE HILL SIDE THE HARE HAS STILL MORE HEART TO RUN THAN YOU HAVE HEART TO RIDE THAT THOUGH ALL LANCES SPLIT ON YOU ALL SORTS BEHEAVED IN VAIN WE HAVE MORE LUST AGAIN TO LOSE THAN YOU TO WIN AGAIN
 to his knees And smote it as in ire. He heaved the head of the harp on high And swept the framework barred, And his stroke had all the rattle and spark Of horses flying hard. "When God put man in a garden He girt him with a sword, And sent him forth a free knight That might betray his lord; "He brake Him and betrayed Him, And fast and far he fell, Till you and I may stretch our necks And burn our beards in hell. "But though I lie on the floor of the world, With the seven sins for rods, I would rather fall with Adam Than rise with all your gods. "What have the strong gods given? Where have the glad gods led? When Guthrum sits on a hero's throne And asks if he is dead? "Sirs, I am but a nameless man, A rhymester without home, Yet since I come of the Wessex clay And carry the cross of Rome, "I will even answer the mighty earl That asked of Wessex men Why they be meek and monkish folk, And bow to the White Lord's broken yoke; What sign have we save blood and smoke? Here is my answer then. ILL ALFRED CAUGHT IT IN HIS KNEES AND SMOTE IT AS IN IRON HE HEAVED THE HEAD OF THE HARP ON HIGH AND SWEPT THE FRAMEWORK BARRED AND HIS STROKE HAD ALL THE RATTLE AND SPARK OF HORSES FLYING HARD WHEN GOD PUT MAN IN A GARDEN HE GIRT HIM WITH HIS SWORD AND SENT HIM FORTH A FREE KNIGHT THAT MIGHT BETRAY HIS LORD HE BRAKE HIM AND BETRAYED HIM AND FAST AND FAR HE FELL TILL YOU AND I MAY STRETCH OUR NECKS AND BURN OUR BEARDS IN HELL BUT THOUGH I LIE ON THE FLOOR OF THE WORLD WITH THE SEVEN SINS FOR RODS I WOULD RATHER FALL WITH ADAM THAN RISE WITH ALL YOUR GODS WHAT HAVE THE STRONG GODS GIVEN WHERE HAVE THE GLAD GODS LED WHEN GERTHRUM SITS ON A HERO'S THRONE AND ASKS IF HE IS DEAD SIRS I AM BUT A NAMELESS MAN A RHYMSTER WITHOUT HOME YET SINCE I COME OF THE WESSEX CLAY AND CARRY THE CROSS OF ROME I WILL EVEN ANSWER WHEN THE MIGHTY EARL THAT ASKED OF WESSEX MEN WHY THEY BE MEEK AND MONKISH FOLK AND BOW TO THE WHITE LORD'S BROKEN YOKE WHAT SIGN HAVE WE SAVE BLOOD AND SMOKE HERE IS MY ANSWER THEN
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_03_chesterton_64kb
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