Helen Redeemed and Other Poems. Maurice Hewlett

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СКАЧАТЬ done far below

       As on a stage where the thin players seem

       Unkith to them who watch, the stuff of dream.

       Nor else about the plain showed living thing

       Save high in the blue where sailed on outspread wing

       A vulture bird intent, with mighty span

       Of pinion.

       In the hush spake the dead man,

       Hollow-voiced, terrible: "Ye tribes of Troy,

       Here stand I out for death, and ye for joy

       Of killing as ye will, by cast of spear,

       By bowshot or with sword. If any peer

       Of Hector or Sarpedon care the bout

       Which they both tried aforetime let him out

       With speed, and bring his many against one,

       Fearing no treachery, for there shall be none

       To aid me, God nor man; nor yet will I

       Stir finger in the business, but will die

       By murder sooner than in battle fall

       Under some Trojan hand."

       Breathless stood all,

       Not moving out; but Paris on the roof

       Of his high house, where snug he sat aloof,

       Drew taut the bowstring home, and notched a shaft,

       Soft whistling to himself, what time with craft

       Of peering eyes and narrow twisted face

       He sought an aim.

       Swift from her hiding-place

       Came burning Helen then, in her blue eyes

       A fire unquenchable, but cold as ice

       That scorcheth ere it strike a mortal chill

       Upon the heart. "Darest thou … ?"

       Smiling still,

       He heeded not her warning, nor he read

       The terror of her eyes, but drew and sped

       A screaming arrow, deadly, swerving not—

       Then stood to watch the ruin he had wrought.

       He heard the sob of breath o'er all the host

       Of hushing men; he marked, but then he lost,

       The blood-spurt at the shaft-head; for the crest

       Upheaved, the shoulders stiffen'd, ere to the breast

       Bent down the head, as though the glazing sight

       Curious would mark the death-spot. Still upright

       Stood he; but as a tree that on the side

       Of Ida yields to axe her soaring pride

       And lightlier waves her leafy crown, and swings

       From side to side—so on his crest the wings

       Erect seemed shaking upwards, and to sag

       The spear's point, and the burden'd head to wag

       Before the stricken body felt the stroke,

       Or the strong knees grew lax, or the heart broke.

       Breathless they waited; then the failing man

       Stiffened anew his neck, and changed and wan

       Looked for the last time in the face of day,

       And seemed to dare the Gods such might to slay

       As this, the sanguine splendid thing he was,

       Withal now gray of face and pinched. Alas,

       For pride of life! Now he had heard his knell.

       His spirit passed, and crashing down he fell,

       Mighty Achilles, and struck the earth, and lay

       A huddled mass, a bulk of bronze and clay

       Bestuck with gilt and glitter, like a toy.

       There dropt a forest hush on watching Troy,

       Upon the plain and watching ranks of men;

       And from a tower some woman keened him then

       With long thin cry that wavered in the air—

       As once before one wailed her Hector there.

SECOND STAVE

       Table of Contents

      MENELAUS' DREAM: HELEN ON THE WALL

      So he who wore his honour like a wreath

       About his brows went the dark way of death;

       Which being done, that deed of ruth and doom

       Gave breath to Troy; but on the Achaians gloom

       Settled like pall of cloud upon a land

       That swoons beneath it. Desperate they scanned

       Each other, saying: "Now we are left by God,"

       And in the huts behind the wall abode,

       Heeding not Diomede, Idomeneus,

       Nor keen Odysseus, nor that friend of Zeus

       Mykenai's king, nor that robbed Menelaus,

       Nor bowman Teukros, Nestor wise, nor Aias—

       Huge Aias, cursed in death! Peleides bare

       Himself with pride, but he went raving there.

       For in the high assembly Thetis made

       In honour of her son, to waft his shade

       In peace to Hades' house, after the fire

       Twice a man's height for him who did suspire

       Twice a man's heart and render it to Heaven

       Who gave it, after offerings paid and given,

       And games of men and horses, she brought forth

       СКАЧАТЬ