 | The Emperor's Vigil, and The Waves And The War |  |
3
I. The Baltic Fleet.
He would not let them rest
On the waters of the West,
Where they slumbered in their bays—those sons of England's might—
With their great white shadowy shrouds
Folded calm as brooding clouds,
Dreaming of old victories in the drowsy summer-light.
On the waters of the West,
Where they slumbered in their bays—those sons of England's might—
With their great white shadowy shrouds
Folded calm as brooding clouds,
Dreaming of old victories in the drowsy summer-light.
He would not let them rest,
Those war-ships of the West,
The Czar of sullen Muscovy in drunkenness of pride;
And they gather now and throng,
The beautiful and strong,
Like a fairy pageant floating for a pastime on the tide.
Those war-ships of the West,
The Czar of sullen Muscovy in drunkenness of pride;
4
The beautiful and strong,
Like a fairy pageant floating for a pastime on the tide.
They toy and they play
With the waters on their way;
They tack and they veer, as if in sport upon the sea;
But evermore they write
In those furrows creamy-white,
Our messages of ruin to thine empire and to thee.
With the waters on their way;
They tack and they veer, as if in sport upon the sea;
But evermore they write
In those furrows creamy-white,
Our messages of ruin to thine empire and to thee.
The gentle ocean laughed
To the countless pleasure-craft,
That with music and with joyousness came dancing in delight;
And, as though 'twere a caress,
Round the mighty ships they press,
As you cheer a gallant charger ere it rushes to the fight.
To the countless pleasure-craft,
That with music and with joyousness came dancing in delight;
And, as though 'twere a caress,
Round the mighty ships they press,
As you cheer a gallant charger ere it rushes to the fight.
5
But a sudden change was wrought,
For the mass a signal caught,
And feverish expectation hung lead-like on each breath;
Deep silence sank around,
And the crowds stood wonder-bound,
Till they scarcely felt the ocean pulsing heavily beneath.
For the mass a signal caught,
And feverish expectation hung lead-like on each breath;
Deep silence sank around,
And the crowds stood wonder-bound,
Till they scarcely felt the ocean pulsing heavily beneath.
Then o'er those myriads mute
Slow rolled the last salute;
A white cloud started upward, hiding ships, and sea, and sky;
And a thunder ebbed away
Over inland, shore and bay,
Forth flinging to the universe a nation's battle cry.
Slow rolled the last salute;
A white cloud started upward, hiding ships, and sea, and sky;
And a thunder ebbed away
Over inland, shore and bay,
Forth flinging to the universe a nation's battle cry.
The far hills throb around
With the wide o'erwhelming sound;
The waves are prostrate laid, like a solid glassy floor,
Then they crisp again and rear,
With pale foam, white as fear,
And shivering, in long moaning lines creep slowly to the shore.
With the wide o'erwhelming sound;
The waves are prostrate laid, like a solid glassy floor,
6
With pale foam, white as fear,
And shivering, in long moaning lines creep slowly to the shore.
The thin cloud disappears
In a shower of sudden tears—
Or is it angels weeping o'er the thought of coming woes?—
And a prophet-hue of blood
Flits flickering o'er the flood,
And a sobbing and a sighing is heard around the bows.
In a shower of sudden tears—
Or is it angels weeping o'er the thought of coming woes?—
And a prophet-hue of blood
Flits flickering o'er the flood,
And a sobbing and a sighing is heard around the bows.
Then each one held his breath,
For he knew the voice of death;
A sense of solemn sorrow sank hushing far and wide;
And a vision dim of graves
'Mid lonely shores and waves,
And silent, hopeless evenings by a desolate fireside.
For he knew the voice of death;
A sense of solemn sorrow sank hushing far and wide;
And a vision dim of graves
'Mid lonely shores and waves,
And silent, hopeless evenings by a desolate fireside.
7
But the graceful sails arose
Like a drift of mountain-snows,
And the steam-ship, like a war-horse, came trampling down the brine;
And hearts again beat fast
To see them as they passed—
The cavalry of ocean and the slow-paced sailing line.
Like a drift of mountain-snows,
And the steam-ship, like a war-horse, came trampling down the brine;
And hearts again beat fast
To see them as they passed—
The cavalry of ocean and the slow-paced sailing line.
'Twas thus we bade them go
To seek our country's foe;
Not in doubting or in fearing did the nation send them forth;
'Twas a people's holiday
To greet their brave array,
And a sound of joyous cheering went behind them to the North.
To seek our country's foe;
Not in doubting or in fearing did the nation send them forth;
'Twas a people's holiday
To greet their brave array,
And a sound of joyous cheering went behind them to the North.
| The Emperor's Vigil, and The Waves And The War | |