 | Forest Songs and Other Poems |  |
31
BIRDS OF PREY.
“Rinder zeugen, und die nähren so gut es vermag.”
1
Two Ravens sat upon an oak,Two Hawks upon a pine,
And thus they spoke, with scream and croak,
When the day began to shine.
2
The Hawks said: “Deep in a forest brakeThere lies a wounded roe,
What will ye give us that ye make
Your profit of his woe?”
3
The Ravens answered: “By yonder woodTwo wheatears have their nest,
To-day come fluttering forth their brood,
And ye may choose the best.”
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4
The Hawks flew north, and the Ravens south,With many a scream of glee,
For the Ravens' nestlings cried from a crag,
The Hawks' from a tall pine-tree.
5
The Ravens pecked out the roe's two eyes,While still he drew his breath,
He shuddered, and with piteous cries
Went blindly to his death.
6
The Hawks pounced down on the wheatears brood,And bore the best away;
The wheatears shrieked through their happy wood
For terror and woe that day.
7
The sun shone gay that livelong day,Nor heeded each plaintive shriek,—
The sun were mad if he looked sad
When the strong oppress the weak.
| Forest Songs and Other Poems | |