THE KAISER feasted in his hall, | |
| The red wine mantled high; | |
| Banners were trembling on the wall, | |
| To the peals of minstrelsy: | |
| And many a gleam and sparkle came | 5 |
| From the armor hung around, | |
| As it caught the glance of the torch’s flame, | |
| Or the hearth with pine boughs crowned. | |
| |
| Why fell there silence on the chord | |
| Beneath the harper’s hand? | 10 |
| And suddenly, from that rich board, | |
| Why rose the wassail-band? | |
| The strings were hushed,—the knights made way | |
| For the queenly mother’s tread, | |
| As up the hall, in dark array, | 15 |
| Two fair-haired boys she led. | |
| |
| She led them e’en to the Kaiser’s place, | |
| And still before him stood; | |
| Till, with strange wonder o’er his face | |
| Flushed the proud warrior-blood: | 20 |
| And “Speak, my mother! speak!” he cried, | |
| “Wherefore this mourning vest? | |
| And the clinging children by thy side, | |
| In weeds of sadness drest?” | |
| |
| “Well may a mourning vest be mine, | 25 |
| And theirs, my son, my son! | |
| Look on the features of thy line | |
| In each fair little one! | |
| Though grief awhile within their eyes | |
| Hath tamed the dancing glee, | 30 |
| Yet there thine own quick spirit lies,— | |
| Thy brother’s children see! | |
| |
| “And where is he, thy brother, where? | |
| He, in thy home that grew, | |
| And smiling, with his sunny hair, | 35 |
| Ever to greet thee flew? | |
| How would his arms thy neck entwine, | |
| His fond lips press thy brow! | |
| My son! O, call these orphans thine,— | |
| Thou hast no brother now! | 40 |
| |
| “What! from their gentle eyes doth naught | |
| Speak of thy childhood’s hours, | |
| And smite thee with a tender thought | |
| Of thy dead father’s towers? | |
| Kind was thy boyish heart and true, | 45 |
| When reared together there, | |
| Through the old woods like fawns ye flew,— | |
| Where is thy brother—where? | |
| |
| “Well didst thou love him then, and he | |
| Still at thy side was seen! | 50 |
| How is it that such things can be | |
| As though they ne’er had been? | |
| Evil was this world’s breath, which came | |
| Between the good and brave! | |
| Now must the tears of grief and shame | 55 |
| Be offered to the grave. | |
| |
| “And let them, let them there be poured! | |
| Though all unfelt below, | |
| Thine own wrung heart, to love restored, | |
| Shall soften as they flow. | 60 |
| O, death is mighty to make peace; | |
| Now bid his work be done! | |
| So many an inward strife shall cease,— | |
| Take, take those babes, my son!” | |
| |
| His eye was dimmed,—the strong man shook | 65 |
| With feelings long suppressed; | |
| Up in his arms the boys he took, | |
| And strained them to his breast. | |
| And a shout from all in the royal hall | |
| Burst forth to hail the sight; | 70 |
| And eyes were wet, midst the brave that met | |
| At the Kaiser’s feast that night. | |
| |
