 | Poetical Works of Lionel Johnson |  |
CYHIRAETH
To F. York Powell.
Sunk and set our sun, that shone:
Now are light and glory gone
From glittering Llanarmon!
We heard the doom, the deathcry, wail
Between the mountains and the vale,
Through desolate Llanarmon.
Now are light and glory gone
From glittering Llanarmon!
We heard the doom, the deathcry, wail
Between the mountains and the vale,
Through desolate Llanarmon.
179
For a crown, Llanarmon bears
But a bristling crest of spears:
Fierce are thy joys, Llanarmon!
And older than the Druid oak
His line, the leader of thy folk,
Llewellyn of Llanarmon!
But a bristling crest of spears:
Fierce are thy joys, Llanarmon!
And older than the Druid oak
His line, the leader of thy folk,
Llewellyn of Llanarmon!
Valiant and divinely proud,
He: till death against him vowed
Malevolence, Llanarmon!
Death, angered at a man so great,
Sent travelling from the Ghostly Gate
The lone deathcry, Llanarmon!
He: till death against him vowed
Malevolence, Llanarmon!
Death, angered at a man so great,
Sent travelling from the Ghostly Gate
The lone deathcry, Llanarmon!
From the Ghostly Gate it came,
Keen as wind, and swift as flame:
Thou knowest it, Llanarmon!
But wildest flame, and fiercest wind,
Less fearful are to strong mankind,
Than that strange fear, Llanarmon!
Keen as wind, and swift as flame:
Thou knowest it, Llanarmon!
But wildest flame, and fiercest wind,
Less fearful are to strong mankind,
Than that strange fear, Llanarmon!
High in heaven had there been
Horrors heard, and visions seen,
By whispering Llanarmon:
Armed hosts, at onset long and loud
Clashing within the sullen cloud,
Clanged over pale Llanarmon.
Horrors heard, and visions seen,
By whispering Llanarmon:
Armed hosts, at onset long and loud
Clashing within the sullen cloud,
Clanged over pale Llanarmon.
On the winds' waste passages,
Dim death's presage angel is
To eyes of man, Llanarmon!
But when, since solemn earth began,
Pierced agony to ears of man,
Clearer than this, Llanarmon?
Dim death's presage angel is
To eyes of man, Llanarmon!
But when, since solemn earth began,
Pierced agony to ears of man,
Clearer than this, Llanarmon?
180
Not a spirit, that, of air,
Earth, or water: past compare,
To agonized Llanarmon
Comes that immitigable cry;
The music sent, before they die,
The princes of Llanarmon!
Earth, or water: past compare,
To agonized Llanarmon
Comes that immitigable cry;
The music sent, before they die,
The princes of Llanarmon!
Through the vasty Druid trees
Murmuring to the mountain breeze
Bravely, above Llanarmon,
Even as it were the sea in surge,
Down swept the dolour and the dirge
At midnight on Llanarmon.
Murmuring to the mountain breeze
Bravely, above Llanarmon,
Even as it were the sea in surge,
Down swept the dolour and the dirge
At midnight on Llanarmon.
Ah, the waft of plangent breath,
Harbinger of ready death
To shuddering Llanarmon!
A tide of sorrow strongly set
From the gray region of regret
Toward thee, forlorn Llanarmon!
Harbinger of ready death
To shuddering Llanarmon!
A tide of sorrow strongly set
From the gray region of regret
Toward thee, forlorn Llanarmon!
Strong men blaunched to hear that tone,
Lovers closelier clasped their own,
In tremulous Llanarmon:
Until within Llewellyn's halls
Rose, rang, around the trophied walls:
Woe for bereaved Llanarmon!
Lovers closelier clasped their own,
In tremulous Llanarmon:
Until within Llewellyn's halls
Rose, rang, around the trophied walls:
Woe for bereaved Llanarmon!
On the wolfskins he had lain,
Prisoned long in burning pain:
What tears were thine, Llanarmon!
Sorrow! upon the thundering field
Not his, his soul in death to yield,
Fighting for thee, Llanarmon!
Prisoned long in burning pain:
What tears were thine, Llanarmon!
181
Not his, his soul in death to yield,
Fighting for thee, Llanarmon!
Bitterness of wounding fire
To his heart drew surely nigher,
As death drew nigh Llanarmon:
Until, while wailed the herald cry,
Upright he sprang, and stood to die,
So: Lion of Llanarmon!
To his heart drew surely nigher,
As death drew nigh Llanarmon:
Until, while wailed the herald cry,
Upright he sprang, and stood to die,
So: Lion of Llanarmon!
Lion soul and eagle face
Fought with death, a splendid space:
Oh, proud be thou, Llanarmon!
Not man with man, but man with death
Wrestled: thine hoariest minstrel saith
No greater deed, Llanarmon!
Fought with death, a splendid space:
Oh, proud be thou, Llanarmon!
Not man with man, but man with death
Wrestled: thine hoariest minstrel saith
No greater deed, Llanarmon!
Amid lightning of blue swords
Noblier never died thy lords,
Than died this lord, Llanarmon!
Fell the high face, the great heart broke:
Within the Shadowy Isle he woke,
Thy paladin, Llanarmon!
Noblier never died thy lords,
Than died this lord, Llanarmon!
Fell the high face, the great heart broke:
Within the Shadowy Isle he woke,
Thy paladin, Llanarmon!
White and stern Llewellyn slept,
While his praising people kept
Vigil in sad Llanarmon:
The cry, that called this Man of men,
Hushed, leaving them but silence then,
Dark silence, in Llanarmon.
While his praising people kept
Vigil in sad Llanarmon:
The cry, that called this Man of men,
Hushed, leaving them but silence then,
Dark silence, in Llanarmon.
1896.
| Poetical Works of Lionel Johnson | |