 | A Song of Heroes |  |
29
ALEXANDER.
I will sing of Alexander,
Macedonia's peerless boy,
In whose veins the blood of heroes
Ran like rivers in their joy.
Macedonia's peerless boy,
In whose veins the blood of heroes
Ran like rivers in their joy.
In his father's camp at Pydna
Up he grew in ruddy grace,
Lithe of limb and tight of sinew,
And with eager forward face.
Up he grew in ruddy grace,
Lithe of limb and tight of sinew,
And with eager forward face.
First to run the race with racers,
First to mount the restive steed,
First to chase the stag fleet-footed
O'er the hills with flying speed.
First to mount the restive steed,
First to chase the stag fleet-footed
O'er the hills with flying speed.
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Nor in feats of muscle merely,
But in tricks of wit excels,
Drinking wisdom at Stagira,
From the master-thinker's wells.
But in tricks of wit excels,
Drinking wisdom at Stagira,
From the master-thinker's wells.
Born a king, the charm of kingship
Went with him; and where he came,
Subtle Greek and rude Triballi
Owned the virtue of his name.
Went with him; and where he came,
Subtle Greek and rude Triballi
Owned the virtue of his name.
Petty strifes might not detain him;
Great souls long for large expanse;
Europe's age-long feud with Asia
Claimed the service of his lance.
Great souls long for large expanse;
Europe's age-long feud with Asia
Claimed the service of his lance.
And he passed the stream of Helle,
Where the Sea-nymph's fervid boy
With a thousand-masted navy
Crossed to curb the pride of Troy.
Where the Sea-nymph's fervid boy
With a thousand-masted navy
Crossed to curb the pride of Troy.
And his eager foot he planted
On that ten years' battle-ground,
And flung his war-gear off, and gaily
Round Pelides' grassy mound
On that ten years' battle-ground,
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Round Pelides' grassy mound
Rode three times; and with his captains
In devout self-dedication
Crowned his tomb with bloom of flowers,
And poured sweet oil of consecration.
In devout self-dedication
Crowned his tomb with bloom of flowers,
And poured sweet oil of consecration.
Thence with foot that knew no resting,
And a soul that spurned delay,
On to thy steep banks, Granicus,
Where in bristling close array
And a soul that spurned delay,
On to thy steep banks, Granicus,
Where in bristling close array
Stood Darius' high-trained legions
In proud pomp of glittering mail,
And from bend of bows gigantic
Pouring arrows thick as hail,
In proud pomp of glittering mail,
And from bend of bows gigantic
Pouring arrows thick as hail,
Vainly; never pride of Susa
Blocked to free-souled Greece the road;
Through surging tide and slippery bank
On the Macedonian strode,
Blocked to free-souled Greece the road;
Through surging tide and slippery bank
On the Macedonian strode,
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And stood white-plumed a victor. Onward
Where the Sardian gold was stored,
Where the knot of Fate, the Gordian,
Gaped to greet the Grecian sword.
Where the Sardian gold was stored,
Where the knot of Fate, the Gordian,
Gaped to greet the Grecian sword.
Onward by the steep sea-ladders
Where Pamphylia's tideful wave
Timed its swell to leave free passage
To the footsteps of the brave.
Where Pamphylia's tideful wave
Timed its swell to leave free passage
To the footsteps of the brave.
Onward where high-ridged Amanus
Towered o'er Issus' widespread waters,
Where Damascus' leafy gardens
Wove green bowers for Syria's daughters.
Towered o'er Issus' widespread waters,
Where Damascus' leafy gardens
Wove green bowers for Syria's daughters.
Onward where the hold of Hiram,
Sea-girt Tyre, his might defied;
But with heart that never fainted,
O'er its haughty-crested tide
Sea-girt Tyre, his might defied;
But with heart that never fainted,
O'er its haughty-crested tide
He flung a highway. Tyre submissive
Bowed her neck: stout Gaza yields,
And hoary-centuried Egypt welcomed
To her broad sweet-watered fields,
Bowed her neck: stout Gaza yields,
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To her broad sweet-watered fields,
With people's shout and priestly blessing,
Macedonia's marvellous boy.
He, unresting, through the sandy
Desert, with prophetic joy,
Macedonia's marvellous boy.
He, unresting, through the sandy
Desert, with prophetic joy,
Marched to Libya's green Oasis,
Where, with mystic word and sign,
Hornèd Ammon's priestly spokesman
Stamped his mission for divine.
Where, with mystic word and sign,
Hornèd Ammon's priestly spokesman
Stamped his mission for divine.
Memphis now shall bow to Hellas:
In great Alexander's soul
Rose, God-sent, a pregnant fancy,
Where the Coptic waters roll,
In great Alexander's soul
Rose, God-sent, a pregnant fancy,
Where the Coptic waters roll,
By the lake of Mareotis.
By old Pharos' rocky isle,
There to found a mighty city
Where the Greek should rule the Nile,
By old Pharos' rocky isle,
There to found a mighty city
Where the Greek should rule the Nile,
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And he marked it out with omens,
Bravely streeted east and west,
With the name of Alexander
Stamped upon its stony breast.
Bravely streeted east and west,
With the name of Alexander
Stamped upon its stony breast.
Mighty city, home of science,
Nurse of Commerce, queen of trade,
Whence Greek wit and Christian saintship
Rayed a glory largely shed;
Nurse of Commerce, queen of trade,
Whence Greek wit and Christian saintship
Rayed a glory largely shed;
Where the reasoned faith of Plato,
Calmly measuring forth the true,
Shook hands with the prophet-passion
Of the fiery-hearted Jew,
Calmly measuring forth the true,
Shook hands with the prophet-passion
Of the fiery-hearted Jew,
Both divine. But Alexander
Marched, blind pioneer of God,
With Fate behind and Fate before him,
Eastward on his conquering road;
Marched, blind pioneer of God,
With Fate behind and Fate before him,
Eastward on his conquering road;
Eastward, where far-sung Euphrates
Pours his fattening waters wide,
Where from snowy-capped Niphates
Tigris rolls her foamy tide
Pours his fattening waters wide,
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Tigris rolls her foamy tide
To the plain of Gaugamela,
Where, in long-drawn tented show,
All the pride of golden Persia
Stood expectant of the foe!
Where, in long-drawn tented show,
All the pride of golden Persia
Stood expectant of the foe!
Firmly stood the Persian battle,
Making wise Pausanias quake;
But in soul of Alexander
Swelled a tide no bar could break.
Making wise Pausanias quake;
But in soul of Alexander
Swelled a tide no bar could break.
Like a mighty unmoored trireme
Drifting helmless from the blast,
Great Darius with his princes
O'er the Zagrian mountains passed:
Drifting helmless from the blast,
Great Darius with his princes
O'er the Zagrian mountains passed:
There to seek 'mid traitor-Bactrians
Refuge, which more wisely he,
From his generous-hearted victor,
Might have craved on bended knee
Refuge, which more wisely he,
From his generous-hearted victor,
Might have craved on bended knee
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At Babylon or royal Susa,
Where the gold is piled in bales,
And Choaspes laves the meadows
Where the fruitful green prevails.
Where the gold is piled in bales,
And Choaspes laves the meadows
Where the fruitful green prevails.
Or 'mid pomp of stately pillars,
Where Persepolis nursed the dream
Of the haughty-hearted Xerxes,
To lay bonds on Helle's stream.
Where Persepolis nursed the dream
Of the haughty-hearted Xerxes,
To lay bonds on Helle's stream.
Here the victor paused; but Pause
Made short call on Alexander.
As a foam-faced mountain-torrent,
With a gentle slow meander
Made short call on Alexander.
As a foam-faced mountain-torrent,
With a gentle slow meander
Flows a space, then, as impatient
Of inglorious ease, his motion
Spurs, and with exultant billow
Roars at thunder-speed to ocean,
Of inglorious ease, his motion
Spurs, and with exultant billow
Roars at thunder-speed to ocean,
So he took short holiday,
From golden bowls the red wine drinking,
With song and dance and pastime gay,
And every power that strangles thinking.
From golden bowls the red wine drinking,
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And every power that strangles thinking.
Then uprose, and mailed his breast,
Helmed his head, and looked around,
Finely pricked with eager joyaunce,
Like a keen unkennelled hound.
Helmed his head, and looked around,
Finely pricked with eager joyaunce,
Like a keen unkennelled hound.
On to Oxus, to Jaxartes,
Where great Cyrus set a bound
To the loose unchastened Scythians,
Like a tempest drifting round.
Where great Cyrus set a bound
To the loose unchastened Scythians,
Like a tempest drifting round.
Some drew back: but Alexander
Knew not back; and as on wings,
Up the steep-faced Bactrian fastness
Deftly climbs, and bravely brings
Knew not back; and as on wings,
Up the steep-faced Bactrian fastness
Deftly climbs, and bravely brings
Fair Roxana, blooming daughter
Of the king, to be his bride.
What remained? Paropamisus,
With its mountain-rampart wide,
Of the king, to be his bride.
What remained? Paropamisus,
With its mountain-rampart wide,
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Signed him onwards. He might never
Rest, till he prevailed to bind
With strong bonds of human kinship
Westmost Greece and Eastmost Ind.
Rest, till he prevailed to bind
With strong bonds of human kinship
Westmost Greece and Eastmost Ind.
Onward, onward! O'er thy birdless
Steep, Aornos, he prevailed,
Which the stout son of Alcmena
Three times dared, and three times failed.
Steep, Aornos, he prevailed,
Which the stout son of Alcmena
Three times dared, and three times failed.
Him the fort of Dionysus,
Nysa, praised by the Hindoo,
With its wreaths of cooling ivy,
And its groves of laurel, knew.
Nysa, praised by the Hindoo,
With its wreaths of cooling ivy,
And its groves of laurel, knew.
On the banks of the Hydaspes
Porus stood, high-statured king,
With his elephants and chariots
Bristling wide from wing to wing.
Porus stood, high-statured king,
With his elephants and chariots
Bristling wide from wing to wing.
Breast-high marched the Macedonian
Through its flood, nor knew to cease
From the shock of spears, till Porus
Bowed the subject knee to Greece.
Through its flood, nor knew to cease
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Bowed the subject knee to Greece.
Indus with its seven mouths hailed him,
Tideful ocean owned his rule,
And with grateful grace to Neptune
There he sacrificed a bull.
Tideful ocean owned his rule,
And with grateful grace to Neptune
There he sacrificed a bull.
Westward then with work accomplished,
Through a wide unwatered waste,
Through thy burning sands, Gedrosia,
Back his stout-souled march he traced;
Through a wide unwatered waste,
Through thy burning sands, Gedrosia,
Back his stout-souled march he traced;
Back to Babylon. There the nations,
In the garb of gladness dressed,
Sent their missioned chiefs to greet him
Umpire of the East and West.
In the garb of gladness dressed,
Sent their missioned chiefs to greet him
Umpire of the East and West.
But the gods would have him.
Grandly
What he proudly sought he gained:
Greece had conquered the Barbarian;
Where he throned her, she remained.
This conclusion of such a brilliant career may seem abrupt; but so it was in fact. The fatigues of his Indian and Gedrosian march, along with the heat of the season, not unassisted in all probability by the festive potations in which the Macedonians indulged, ended in a fever, which carried him off in a few days at the early age of thirty-two, b.c. 323. See Arrian, vii. 24-28.
What he proudly sought he gained:
Greece had conquered the Barbarian;
Where he throned her, she remained.
| A Song of Heroes | |