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A poem by Algernon Charles Swinburne |
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A Song In Time Of Revolution. 1860 |
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Title: A Song In Time Of Revolution. 1860 Author: Algernon Charles Swinburne [More Titles by Swinburne] The heart of the rulers is sick, and the high-priest covers his head: The poor and the halt and the blind are keen and mighty and fleet: The wind has the sound of a laugh in the clamour of days and of deeds: The high-priest sick from qualms, with his raiment bloodily dashed; They are smitten, they tremble greatly, they are pained for their pleasant things: They are grieved and greatly afraid; they are taken, they shall not flee: They were fair in the grace of gold, they walked with delicate feet: For the breaking of gold in their hair they halt as a man made lame: Wilt thou judge thy people now, O king that wast found most wise? Shall God make a pact with thee, till his hook be found in thy sides? Set a word in thy lips, to stand before God with a word in thy mouth: But the arm of the elders is broken, their strength is unbound and undone: Their moan is in every place, the cry of them filleth the land: They are girdled about the reins with a curse for the girdle thereon: For the sound of the shouting of men they are grievously stricken at heart: There is none of them all that is whole; their lips gape open for breath; The wind is thwart in their feet; it is full of the shouting of mirth; The sword, the sword is made keen; the iron has opened its mouth; The sound of a word was shed, the sound of the wind as a breath, Where the face of the moon is taken, the ways of the stars undone, Where the waters are emptied and broken, the waves of the waters are stayed; Where the sword was covered and hidden, and dust had grown in its side, The sides of the two-edged sword shall be bare, and its mouth shall be red, [The end] GO TO TOP OF SCREEN |