Historical & Legendary Ballads & Songs By Walter Thornbury. Illustrated by J. Whistler, F. Walker, John Tenniel, J. D. Watson, W. Small, F. Sandys, G. J. Pinwell, T. Morten, M. J. Lawless, and many others |
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A Tartar Foray.
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 | Historical & Legendary Ballads & Songs |  |
A Tartar Foray.
A tartar foray:—swarms of horse,
Grim, bearded faces, flashing swords,
Wild cries of “Pillage!” “Burn!” and “Slay!”
As swept o'er Persian bounds the hordes.
Grim, bearded faces, flashing swords,
Wild cries of “Pillage!” “Burn!” and “Slay!”
As swept o'er Persian bounds the hordes.
Rude standards, strips of crimson silk,
With Koran texts, long lines of spears,
All bending eastward; through scared towns,
They ride with curses and with cheers.
With Koran texts, long lines of spears,
All bending eastward; through scared towns,
They ride with curses and with cheers.
And in their rear the captives come—
Pale wounded men, and maid, and child,
Pricked on with lances, till their blood
Lest trails to lure the wolf o' the wild.
Pale wounded men, and maid, and child,
Pricked on with lances, till their blood
Lest trails to lure the wolf o' the wild.
They rode back laden with spoil and wealth
Great gold vessels from Ispahan;
And their choicest prize was a Persian bride,
Who rode at the back of a Calmuck man;
Great gold vessels from Ispahan;
And their choicest prize was a Persian bride,
Who rode at the back of a Calmuck man;
A broad-limbed slave, who groomed the horse
Of the Tartar chief, and pitched his tent;
Who drove his camels and ground his sword,
And guarded his lord where'er he went.
Of the Tartar chief, and pitched his tent;
Who drove his camels and ground his sword,
And guarded his lord where'er he went.
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A mere wild beast, with an apish head,
And a heart as hard as the granite stone;
One who had stabbed, and slashed, and cleft
A dozen men that day alone.
And a heart as hard as the granite stone;
One who had stabbed, and slashed, and cleft
A dozen men that day alone.
And yet he had thoughts of home and child,
And love for a daughter so fair and young;
And he gave a word to cheer the slave—
A kindly word, though in rugged tongue.
And love for a daughter so fair and young;
And he gave a word to cheer the slave—
A kindly word, though in rugged tongue.
They had not ridden a dozen miles,
Ere the bride implored him, with weeping eyes,
To spare her the shame of a lingering death,
And the horrors of sinful miseries.
Ere the bride implored him, with weeping eyes,
To spare her the shame of a lingering death,
And the horrors of sinful miseries.
The Calmuck turned, and with pitying look,
Drew a knife from his girdled side;
And slew at a stroke, though he dared not look,
She who besought him—the Persian bride.
Drew a knife from his girdled side;
And slew at a stroke, though he dared not look,
She who besought him—the Persian bride.
Another mile; the avengers came
Swooping like hawks before the wind;
And they broke swift into the Calmuck hordes,
And smote in front, and smote behind.
Swooping like hawks before the wind;
And they broke swift into the Calmuck hordes,
And smote in front, and smote behind.
And foremost rode the Persian chief,
To leap among the robbers flying—
He clasped his bride with eager arms:
He'd saved her, but he'd saved her dying.
To leap among the robbers flying—
He clasped his bride with eager arms:
He'd saved her, but he'd saved her dying.
| Historical & Legendary Ballads & Songs | |