large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_03_chesterton_64kb_42
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_03_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
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. 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
ar above the crown; But in that dream of battle We seem to tread it down. "Wherefore I am a great king, And waste the world in vain, Because man hath not other power, Save that in dealing death for dower, He may forget it for an hour To remember it again." And slowly his hands and thoughtfully Fell from the lifted lyre, And the owls moaned from the mighty trees Till Alfred caught it 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? AZES BRIGHT ABOVE THE CUP AND CLEAR ABOVE THE CROWN BUT IN THAT DREAM OF BATTLE WE SEEM TO TREADOW WHEREFORE I AM A GREAT KING AND WASTE THE WORLD IN VAIN BECAUSE MAN HATH NOT OTHER POWER SAVE THAT IN DEALING DEATH FOR DOWER HE MAY FORGET IT FOR AN HOUR REMEMBER IT AGAIN AND SLOWLY HIS HANDS AND THOUGHTFULLY FELL FROM THE LIFTED LYRE AND THE OWLS MOANED FROM THE MIGHTY TREES TILL 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
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_03_chesterton_64kb
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