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The Earthquake
CALMLY the night came down | |
| O’er Scylla’s shattered walls; | |
| How desolate that silent town! | |
| How tenantless the halls | |
| Where yesterday her thousands trode, | 5 |
| And princes graced their proud abode! | |
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| Low, on the wet sea-sand, | |
| Humbled in anguish now, | |
| The despot, midst his menial band, | |
| Bent down his kingly brow,— | 10 |
| Ay, prince and peasant knelt in prayer, | |
| For grief had made them equal there. | |
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| Again!—as at the morn, | |
| The earthquake rolled its car; | |
| Lowly the castle-towers were borne, | 15 |
| That mocked the storms of war. | |
| The mountain reeled,—its shivered brow | |
| Went down among the waves below. | |
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| Up rose the kneelers then, | |
| As the wave’s rush was heard; | 20 |
| The silence of those fated men | |
| Was broken by no word. | |
| But closer still the mother pressed | |
| The infant to her faithful breast. | |
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| One long wild shriek went up, | 25 |
| Full mighty in despair, | |
| As bowed to drink death’s bitter cup | |
| The thousands gathered there; | |
| And man’s strong wail and woman’s cry | |
| Blent as the waters hurried by. | 30 |
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| On swept the whelming sea; | |
| The mountains felt its shock, | |
| As the long cry of agony | |
| Thrilled through their towers of rock; | |
| And echo round that fatal shore | 35 |
| The death-wail of the sufferers bore. | |
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| The morning sun shed forth | |
| Its light upon the scene, | |
| Where tower and palace strewed the earth | |
| With wrecks of what had been; | 40 |
| But of the thousands who were gone, | |
| No trace was left, no vestige shown. | |
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