large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb_27
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
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. 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
and shield. King Guthrum lay on the upper land, On a single road at gaze, And his foe must come with lean array, Up the left arm of the cloven way, To the meeting of the ways. And long ere the noise of armour, An hour ere the break of light, The woods awoke with crash and cry, And the birds sprang clamouring harsh and high, And the rabbits ran like an elves' army Ere Alfred came in sight. The live wood came at Guthrum, On foot and claw and wing, The nests were noisy overhead, For Alfred and the star of red, All life went forth, and the forest fled Before the face of the King. But halted in the woodways Christ's few were grim and grey, And each with a small, far, bird-like sight Saw the high folly of the fight; And though strange joys had grown in the 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. CARE HE DREW LONG LINES FOR PIKE AND SHIELD KING GUTHRUM LAY ON THE UPPER LAND ON A SINGLE ROAD AT GAZE AND HIS FOE MUST COME WITH LEAN ARRAY UP THE LEFT ARM OF THE CLOVEN WAY TO THE MEETING OF THE WAYS AND LONG ERE THE NOISE OF ARMOUR AN HOUR AS A BREAK OF LIGHT THE WOODS AWOKE WITH CRASH AND CRY AND THE BIRDS SPRANG CLAMOURING HARSH AND HIGH AND THE RABBITS RAN LIKE AN ELVES ARMY ERE ALFRED CAME IN SIGHT THE LIVE WOOD CAME AT GUTHRUM ON FOOT AND CLAW AND WING THE NESTS WERE NOISY OVERHEAD FOR ALFRED AND THE STAR OF RED ALL LIFE WENT FORTH AND THE FOREST FLED BEFORE THE FACE OF THE KING BUT HALTED IN THE WOODWAYS CHRIST'S FEW WERE GRIM AND GREY AND EACH WITH A SMALL FAR BIRD LIKE SIGHT SAW THE HIGH FOLLY OF THE FIGHT AND THOUGH STRANGE JOYS HAD GROWN IN THE 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
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_05_chesterton_64kb
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