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Translated by G. F. Richardson
THE WORLD yet waited in shadowy light | |
| The dawn of the rising day; | |
| And scarcely yet had waked the night | |
| From the slumber in which it lay. | |
| But, hark! along the forest way | 5 |
| Unwonted echoes rung, | |
| And all accoutred for the fray | |
| A band of warriors sprung! | |
| |
| And forth they rushed along the plain, | |
| In thunder, to the fight; | 10 |
| And foremost of that martial train | |
| Was Harras, the gallant knight. | |
| They ride upon their secret way, | |
| O’er forest and vale and down, | |
| To reach their foe while yet ’t is day, | 15 |
| And storm his castled town. | |
| |
| So sally they forth from the forest gloom; | |
| But as they leave its shade | |
| They rush, alas! to meet their doom, | |
| And their progress is betrayed: | 20 |
| For suddenly bursts upon their rear | |
| The foe, with twice their force; | |
| Then out at once rush shield and spear, | |
| And the charger flies on his course. | |
| |
| And the wood in unwonted echoes rang | 25 |
| With the sounds of that deadly fray, | |
| And the sabre’s clash and the helmet’s clang | |
| Is mixed with the courser’s neigh. | |
| A thousand wounds have dyed the field | |
| Unheeded in the strife; | 30 |
| But not a man will ask to yield, | |
| For freedom is dearer than life! | |
| |
| But their stronger foes must win the day, | |
| And the knights begin to fail; | |
| For the sword hath swept their best array, | 35 |
| And superior powers prevail. | |
| Unconquered alone, to a rocky height | |
| Bold Harras fought his way; | |
| And his brave steed carried him through the fight, | |
| And bore him safe away. | 40 |
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| And he left the rein to that trusty steed, | |
| And rode from the fatal fray; | |
| But he gave to his erring path no heed, | |
| And he missed the well-known way. | |
| And when he heard the foemen near, | 45 |
| He sprang from the forest gloom; | |
| But as soon as he reached the daylight clear, | |
| He saw at once his doom! | |
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| He had reached a frightful precipice, | |
| Where he heard the deep waves roll; | 50 |
| For he stood on Zschopauthal’s dread abyss, | |
| And horror chilled his soul! | |
| For on yonder bank he could espy | |
| The remnant of his band; | |
| And his heart impatient panted high, | 55 |
| As they waved the friendly hand. | |
| |
| And he longed, as he looked o’er that dreadful steep, | |
| For wings to aid his flight; | |
| For that cliff is full fifty fathoms deep, | |
| And his horse drew back with fright. | 60 |
| And he saw, as he looked behind and below, | |
| On either side his grave: | |
| Behind him, from the coming foe; | |
| Before him, in the wave! | |
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| And he chooses ’twixt death from the foemen’s hand, | 65 |
| Or death where the deep waves roll; | |
| Then he boldly rides up to that rocky strand, | |
| And commends to the Lord his soul! | |
| And as nearer he hears the foemen ride, | |
| He seeks the utmost steep; | 70 |
| And he plunges his spurs in his courser’s side, | |
| And dares the dreadful leap! | |
| |
| And swiftly he sank through the yielding air, | |
| And into the flood he fell; | |
| His steed is dashed to atoms there, | 75 |
| But the knight lives safe and well! | |
| And mid the plaudits of his band, | |
| He stemmed the parting wave, | |
| And soon in safety reached the land, | |
| For Heaven will never forsake the brave! | 80 |
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