Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
France: Vols. IX–X. 1876–79. | | | | St. Omer | | The Camp | | Count Anton Alexander von Auersperg (Anastasius Grün) (1806–1876) |
| | Translated by John Osborne Sargent
FORSOOTH, a peaceful city! | |
| The beautiful St. Omer; | |
| Here the young green of the meadows, | |
| The silver river there; | |
| Near by, a lake like a mirror, | 5 |
| Where emerald islands swim, | |
| Where herds of cattle drifting | |
| Crop the grass at the water’s brim. | |
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| The Abbey of St. Andomar | |
| In polished marble drest, | 10 |
| Looks like the Angel of Peace | |
| On the land that it has blest. | |
| The little word War! O, never | |
| Was it heard on her fertile plains, | |
| And writ in her cloister’s chronicle | 15 |
| Only half the word remains. | |
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| Here seemed peace and content | |
| From the earliest time to dwell; | |
| Was ever heard sound of iron, | |
| It was only the tinkling bell; | 20 |
| Did any one cry for succor, | |
| ’T was at most but a sheep astray; | |
| Was any one angry, ’t was only | |
| A priest in a pastoral way. | | | | |
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