 | Later Poems |  |
29
The Children's Knight
With eyes that look up sunward,
The knights of Love ride onward,
To fight the fight;
They ride, the wrong redressing,
The weak ones lifting, blessing,
With heart and life confessing
The true, the right.
The knights of Love ride onward,
To fight the fight;
They ride, the wrong redressing,
The weak ones lifting, blessing,
With heart and life confessing
The true, the right.
Munificent and loyal,
And courteous as the royal,
Noble and true;
Our eyes have looked upon them,
With hearts that fain had won them
All blessing fair to crown them
That life e'er knew.
And courteous as the royal,
Noble and true;
Our eyes have looked upon them,
With hearts that fain had won them
All blessing fair to crown them
That life e'er knew.
And we, whose lips have sung them,
Discern and know among them
His armour bright;
The vow his heart hath made is
To none of all sweet ladies;
He rideth where the shade is;
The children's knight.
Discern and know among them
His armour bright;
The vow his heart hath made is
To none of all sweet ladies;
He rideth where the shade is;
The children's knight.
He heard the children crying;
The little children, lying
Where devil's hoof
On rosy life had trodden;
And green grass lay blood-sodden;
For them he fought, Childe Roden,
In armour proof.
The little children, lying
Where devil's hoof
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And green grass lay blood-sodden;
For them he fought, Childe Roden,
In armour proof.
Unceasing and unresting
(The swift stag for his cresting),
Well hath he fought.
The legend which he beareth
Below that crest he weareth,
(Oh, well for him who dareth!)
All good or nought!
(The swift stag for his cresting),
Well hath he fought.
The legend which he beareth
Below that crest he weareth,
(Oh, well for him who dareth!)
All good or nought!
O little children, love him!
None loveth you above him,
Your minstrel knight;
On heart, voice, life, so fully,
He bears your passion duly;
Would give his life up truly
For your sweet right.
None loveth you above him,
Your minstrel knight;
On heart, voice, life, so fully,
He bears your passion duly;
Would give his life up truly
For your sweet right.
O little arms, clasp round him!
True knight, good knight, ye found him;
O childhood's eyes,
Smile into his who gave you
Love that so burned to save you;
Heart to heart must he have you,
His great love's prize.
True knight, good knight, ye found him;
O childhood's eyes,
Smile into his who gave you
Love that so burned to save you;
Heart to heart must he have you,
His great love's prize.
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