Poems By Richard Chenevix Trench: New ed |
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AFTER THE BATTLE. |
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177
AFTER THE BATTLE.
We crowned the hard-won heights at length,
Baptized in flame and fire;
We saw the foeman's sullen strength,
That grimly made retire;
Baptized in flame and fire;
We saw the foeman's sullen strength,
That grimly made retire;
Saw close at hand, and then more far,
Beneath the battle smoke
The ridges of his shattered war,
That broke and ever broke.
Beneath the battle smoke
The ridges of his shattered war,
That broke and ever broke.
But one, an English household's pride,
Dear many ways to me,
Who climbed that death-path by my side,
I sought, but could not see—
Dear many ways to me,
Who climbed that death-path by my side,
I sought, but could not see—
Last seen, what time our foremost rank
That iron tempest tore;
He touched, he scaled the rampart bank,
Seen then, and seen no more.
That iron tempest tore;
He touched, he scaled the rampart bank,
Seen then, and seen no more.
One friend to aid, I measured back
With him that pathway dread;
No fear to wander from our track
Its waymarks English dead.
With him that pathway dread;
No fear to wander from our track
Its waymarks English dead.
178
Light thickened; but our search was crowned,
As we too well divined;
And after briefest quest we found
What we most feared to find.
As we too well divined;
And after briefest quest we found
What we most feared to find.
His bosom with one death-shot riven,
The warrior boy lay low;
His face was turned unto the heaven,
His feet unto the foe.
The warrior boy lay low;
His face was turned unto the heaven,
His feet unto the foe.
As he had fall'n upon the plain,
Inviolate he lay;
No ruffian spoiler's hand profane
Had touched that noble clay.
Inviolate he lay;
No ruffian spoiler's hand profane
Had touched that noble clay.
And precious things he still retained,
Which by one distant hearth,
Loved tokens of the loved, had gained
A worth beyond all worth.
Which by one distant hearth,
Loved tokens of the loved, had gained
A worth beyond all worth.
I treasured these for them who yet
Knew not their mighty woe;
I softly sealed his eyes, and set
One kiss upon his brow.
Knew not their mighty woe;
I softly sealed his eyes, and set
One kiss upon his brow.
A decent grave we scooped him, where
Less thickly lay the dead,
And decently composed him there
Within that narrow bed.
Less thickly lay the dead,
And decently composed him there
Within that narrow bed.
Oh theme for manhood's bitter tears,
The beauty and the bloom
Of less than twenty summer years
Shut in that darksome tomb!
The beauty and the bloom
Of less than twenty summer years
Shut in that darksome tomb!
179
Of soldier sire the soldier son—
Life's honoured eventide
One lives to close in England, one
In maiden battle died;
Life's honoured eventide
One lives to close in England, one
In maiden battle died;
And they that should have been the mourned,
The mourners' parts obtain:
Such thoughts were ours, as we returned
To earth its earth again.
The mourners' parts obtain:
Such thoughts were ours, as we returned
To earth its earth again.
Brief words we read of faith and prayer
Beside that hasty grave;
Then turned away, and left him there,
The gentle and the brave;
Beside that hasty grave;
Then turned away, and left him there,
The gentle and the brave;
I calling back with thankful heart,
With thoughts to peace allied,
Hours when we two had knelt apart
Upon the lone hill-side:
With thoughts to peace allied,
Hours when we two had knelt apart
Upon the lone hill-side:
And, comforted, I praised the grace,
Which him had led to be
An early seeker of that Face,
Which he should early see.
Which him had led to be
An early seeker of that Face,
Which he should early see.
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