large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb_20
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb
English
5754
Lifting the great green ivy And the great spear lowering, One said, "I am Alfred of Wessex, And I am a conquered king." LIFTING THE GREAT GREEN IVY AND THE GREAT SPEAR LOWERING ONE SAID I AM ALFRED OF WESSEX AND I AM A CONQUERED KING
 on a landless sea And the sun's last smile. His harp was carved and cunning, As the Celtic craftsman makes, Graven all over with twisting shapes Like many headless snakes. His harp was carved and cunning, His sword prompt and sharp, And he was gay when he held the sword, Sad when he held the harp. For the great Gaels of Ireland Are the men that God made mad, For all their wars are merry, And all their songs are sad. He kept the Roman order, He made the Christian sign; But his eyes grew often blind and bright, And the sea that rose in the rocks at night Rose to his head like wine. He made the sign of the cross of God, He knew the Roman prayer, But he had unreason in his heart Because of the gods that were. Even they that walked on the high cliffs, High as the clouds were then, Gods of unbearable beauty, That broke the hearts of men. And whether in seat or saddle, Whether with frown or smile, Whether at feast or fight was he, He heard the noise of a nameless sea On an undiscovered isle. LY LOOKED OUT AT LAST ON A LANDLESS SEA AND THE SUN'S LAST SMILE HIS HARP WAS CARVED AND CUNNING AS THE CELTIC CRAFTSMAN MAKES GRAVEN ALL OVER WITH TWISTING SHAPES LIKE MANY HEADLESS SNAKES HIS HARP WAS CARVED AND CUNNING HIS SWORD WAS PROMPT AND SHARP AND HE WAS GAY WHEN HE HELD THE SWORD AND SAD WHEN HE HELD THE HARP FOR THE GREAT GALES OF IRELAND ARE THE MEN THAT GOD MADE MAD FOR ALL THEIR WARS ARE MERRY AND ALL THEIR SONGS ARE SAD HE KEPT THE ROMAN ORDER HE MADE THE CHRISTIAN SIGN BUT HIS EYES GREW OFTEN BLIND AND BRIGHT AND THE SEA THAT ROSE IN THE ROCKS AT NIGHT ROSE TO HIS HEAD LIKE WINE HE MADE THE SIGN OF THE CROSS OF GOD HE KNEW THE ROMAN PRAYER BUT HE HAD UNREASON IN HIS HEART BECAUSE OF THE GODS THAT WERE EVEN THEY THAT WALKED ON THE HIGH CLIFFS HIGH AS THE CLOUDS WERE THEN GODS OF UNBEARABLE BEAUTY THAT BROKE THE HEARTS OF MEN AND WHETHER IN SEAT OR SADDLE WHETHER WITH FROWN OR SMILE WHETHER AT FEAST OR FIGHT WAS HE HEARD THE NOISE OF A NAMELESS SEA ON AN UNDISCOVERED ISLE
large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/5754/balladwhitehorse_1404_librivox_64kb_mp3/balladofthewhitehorse_02_chesterton_64kb.flac