English Poetry III: From Tennyson to Whitman.
The Harvard Classics. 1909–14. |
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| 815. Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night |
| | | Walt Whitman (1819–1892) |
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| VIGIL strange I kept on the field one night; | |
| When you my son and my comrade dropt at my side that day, | |
| One look I but gave which your dear eyes return’d with a look I shall never forget, | |
| One touch of your hand to mine O boy, reach’d up as you lay on the ground, | |
| Then onward I sped in the battle, the even-contested battle, | 5 |
| Till late in the night reliev’d to the place at last again I made my way, | |
| Found you in death so cold dear comrade, found your body son of responding kisses (never again on earth responding), | |
| Bared your face in the starlight, curious the scene, cool blew the moderate night-wind, | |
| Long there and then in vigil I stood, dimly around me the battle-field spreading, | |
| Vigil wondrous and vigil sweet there in the fragrant silent night, | 10 |
| But not a tear fell, not even a long-drawn sigh, long, long I gazed. | |
| Then on the earth partially reclining sat by your side leaning my chin in my hands, | |
| Passing sweet hours, immortal and mystic hours with you dearest comrade—not a tear, not a word. | |
| Vigil of silence, love and death, vigil for you my son and my soldier, | |
| As onward silently stars aloft, eastward new ones upward stole, | 15 |
| Vigil final for you brave boy, (I could not save you, swift was your death, | |
| I faithfully loved you and cared for you living, I think we shall surely meet again,) | |
| Till at latest lingering of the night, indeed just as the dawn appear’d, | |
| My comrade I wrapt in his blanket, envelop’d well his form, | |
| Folded the blanket well, tucking it carefully over head and carefully under feet, | 20 |
| And there and then and bathed by the rising sun, my son in his grave, in his rude-dug grave I deposited, | |
| Ending my vigil strange with that, vigil of night and battlefield dim, | |
| Vigil for boy of responding kisses (never again on earth responding), | |
| Vigil for comrade swiftly slain, vigil I never forget, how as day brighten’d, | |
| I rose from the chill ground and folded my soldier well in his blanket, | 25 |
| And buried him where he fell. | |
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