Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Switzerland and Austria: Vol. XVI. 1876–79.

Austria: Prague, Bohemia

The Battle of Prague

By From the German

Translated by H. W. Dulcken

WHEN the Prussians they marched against Prague,—

’Gainst Prague, the beauteous town,—

They took up in camp a position,

They brought with them much ammunition;

They brought their cannons to bear,—

Schwerin was the leader there!

And forth rode Prince Henry then,

With his eighty thousand men.

“My army all would I give, now,

If that Schwerin did but live now.

What an ill, what a terrible ill,

That Schwerin they should shoot and kill!”

The trumpeter was then sent down,

To ask if they ’d give up the town,

Or if it by storm must be taken?—

In the townsmen no fear did this waken;

Their city they would not give in;

The cannonade must needs begin.

Now, who hath made this little song?

To three Hussars it doth belong;

In Seidlitz corps they enlisted,

In the army that Prague invested.

O, Victory, hurrah, hurrah!

Old Fritz was there himself that day.