large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb_19
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
No bows nor slings nor bolts they bore, But bills and pikes ill made; And none but Colan bore a sword, And rusty was its blade. And Colan's eyes with mystery And iron laughter stirred, And he spoke aloud, but lightly Not labouring to be heard. NO BOWS NOR SLINGS NOR BOLTS THEY BORE BUT BILLS AND PIKES ILL MADE AND NONE BUT COLIN BORE A SWORD AND RUSTY WAS ITS BLADE AND COLIN'S EYES WITH MYSTERY AND IRON LAUGHTER STIRRED AND HE SPOKE ALOUD BUT LIGHTLY NOT LABOURING TO BE HEARD
h wide-winged helms and runic blades Red giants of an age of raids, In the thornland of Ethandune. Midmost the saddles rose and swayed, And a stir of horses' manes, Where Guthrum and a few rode high On horses seized in victory; But Ogier went on foot to die, In the old way of the Danes. Far to the King's left Elf the bard Led on the eastern wing With songs and spells that change the blood; And on the King's right Harold stood, The kinsman of the King. Young Harold, coarse, with colours gay, Smoking with oil and musk, And the pleasant violence of the young, Pushed through his people, giving tongue Foewards, where, grey as cobwebs hung, The banners of the Usk. But as he came before his line A little space along, His beardless face broke into mirth, And he cried: "What broken bits of earth Are here? For what their clothes are worth I would sell them for a song." For Colan was hung with raiment Tattered like autumn leaves, And his men were all as thin as saints, And all as poor as thieves.  TEN POLES BEFORE THEIR PALISADES WITH WIDE WINGED HELMS AND RUNIC BLADES RED GIANTS OF AN AGE OF RAIDS IN THE THORNLAND OF ETHUND MIDMOST THE SADDLES ROSE AND SWAYED AND A STIR OF HORSES MANES WHERE GOTHRUM AND A FEW RODE HIGH ON HORSES SEIZED IN VICTORY BUT ARGIO WENT ON FOOT TO DIE IN THE OLD WAY OF THE DANES FAR TO THE KING'S LEFT ELF THE BARD LED ON THE EASTERN WING WITH SONGS AND SPELLS THAT CHANGE THE BLOOD AND ON THE KING'S RIGHT HAROLD STOOD THE KINSMAN OF THE KING YOUNG HAROLD COARSE WITH COLOURS GAY SMOKING WITH OIL AND MUSK AND THE PLEASANT VOICE OF THE YOUNG PUSHED THROUGH HIS PEOPLE GIVING TONGUE FORWARDS WHERE GRAY AS COBWEBS HUNG THE BANNERS OF THE ASK BUT AS HE CAME BEFORE HIS LINE A LITTLE SPACE ALONG HIS BEARDLESS FACE BROKE INTO MIRTH AND HE CRIED WHAT BROKEN BITS OF EARTH ARE HERE FOR WHAT THEIR CLOTHES ARE WORTH I WOULD SELL THEM FOR A SONG FOR COLIN WAS HUNG WITH RADIANT TATTERED LIKE AUTUMN LEAVES AND HIS MEN WERE ALL AS THIN AS SAINTS AND ALL AS POOR AS THIEVES
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb
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