Now consider and event How the soonest, how the quickest, The Boyars, they stood in silence. He again began to speak, In his eye a tear: Come, my children, good dragoons. CAUCASUS. At midnight The moon arose; and lo! the ethereal cliffs Of Caucasus, whose icy summits shone The noonday sun Now shone upon the forest, one vast mass THE COSSACK. From the Danube was I riding, Over the blue pines of the eastern woods, Upon the icy crags where Russian eagles Sat lean famine-withered. and So he turned hunger flashing in his eye, And listened; presently upon the rock He wet his beak, and plumed his ragged feathers, And rose with terrible and savage clang Into the frightened air-nor rose alone, But at the sound the golden beak of Prussia And the two-headed bird of Austria Came swooping up, and o'er the happy land Held bloody carnival; for each one tore A bleeding fragment from his proper beak, As of a kid caught straying and alone. So there went up a cry from earth to heaven, And pale-eyed nation asked, "Is there a God?" But other blood than Polish blood hath dyed Green Vistula to red, and there hath come In these last days a dreader Nemesis One who hath spoiled the spoiler, and for blood Asked blood-for shattered throne hath shattered thrones, So that the nations have forgot their fears, And crying exulting, "Yea, there is a God!" SAINT PETERSBURG. See! From the Finland marshes there That lifts it across till the golden bars Guarding the palace that fronts the square; And Smolnoi's wealth of spangled blue Guard of the Crescent banner, Nor boom the guns of the Fortress, When sunset airs blow free, While the warriors kneel, as the echoes Die over steepe and sea Kneel and pray that the Moslem Lord of the world may be. Gone are the Turk, and the Crescent, And the Fortress of Khodja Bey; And lo! in their place, Odessa, And the Russ with a grander sway— That makes the Fate his prey ! THE DIVISION OF POLAND. Upon earth's lap there lay a pleasant land, With mountain, wood, and river beautified, And city-dotted. For the pleasant land The icy North and burning South did battle Whose it should be; and so it lay between them Unclaimed, unowned, like the shining spoils Under the crossed lances of contending chiefs; Or like April days, whose morn is sunshine And evening storm. Its never-failing fields Strong men and sturdy, robed in vest of green, And when the year was older took their payment In grain and gold. Its ever-smiling homes True wives and comely daughters tenanted, Round the most holy altar of the hearth Moving like holy ministers. To them Sorrow and pain, envy and hate, came ever; Only the mild-eyed, kind consoler, Death, Called them from happy life to happier, Where eyes are shining that can have no tears, And brows are beaming that can never frown, And lips are breathing love that cannot lie. There went a whisper of their happiness "Ah," she said, "your steed detaining, Stay and hear your love's complaining, See how tears my cheeks are staining; Dear Cossack, O stay!" "Well thou knowest when last we parted, Liska, what distress was mine; Almost was I broken-hearted, Now the turn is thine!" "Dear Cossack, forbear to grieve me, Must I lose thee, canst thou leave me, Grief will sure of life bereave me, If I thee resign!" "Break not thus your hands with wringing; Hush the sob, and dry the tear! Soon from battle laurels bringing, Love, expect me here." "Laurels bought with blood alarm me, Glory cannot tempt nor charm me, Ah, there's naught on earth could harm me, Wert thou safe, my dear!" SUNSET IN MOSCOW. O the splendor of the city, When the sun is in the west! Ruddy gold on spire and belfry, Gold on Moskwa's placid breast; Till the twilight soft and sombre Falls on wall and street and square, And the domes and towers in shadow Stand like silent monks at prayer. 'Tis the hour for dream and legend. Meet me by the Sacred Gate! We will watch the crowd go by us; We will stories old relate; Till the bugle of the barracks Call the soldier to repose, And from off the steppe to northward Chill the wind of midnight blows. |