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قراءة كتاب The Song of the Exile—A Canadian Epic
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اللغة: English
الصفحة رقم: 3
farewell.
Alas! my Love, we may not meet again,
For thou must leave me. Ah! I cannot tell
What pain was mine as on my knees I cried,
And begged my father to unbend his pride.
XIX.
"He will not hear me; nought that I can say
Will calm his wrath, but rather do my prayers
Increase his passion. Each recurring day,
When I would still importune him, he bears
A sterner aspect, and 'twere better now
That we should speak no more of this our vow.
Will calm his wrath, but rather do my prayers
Increase his passion. Each recurring day,
When I would still importune him, he bears
A sterner aspect, and 'twere better now
That we should speak no more of this our vow.
XX.
"But leave thou me, and seek a foreign clime.
My father thus will think that thou hast lost
All hope of winning me. In one year's time
Return again; perhaps, by conscience tossed,
My father will repent his stern decree,
And gladly, as my husband, welcome thee."
My father thus will think that thou hast lost
All hope of winning me. In one year's time
Return again; perhaps, by conscience tossed,
My father will repent his stern decree,
And gladly, as my husband, welcome thee."
"Oh! fly thou with me, Love," I trembling cried,
"And—" but my loved one would not hear my cry:
"'Tis but a twelvemonth since my mother died,
And I should sin against my God if I
Should leave my father. Oh! my Love, seek not
To tempt me thus, but help me bear my lot."
"And—" but my loved one would not hear my cry:
"'Tis but a twelvemonth since my mother died,
And I should sin against my God if I
Should leave my father. Oh! my Love, seek not
To tempt me thus, but help me bear my lot."
XXII.
'Twere wrong to more persuade her. Silently
I kissed her gentle lips. A loving spell
Of sweet communion followed—it could be
But short—and then we bade a long farewell.
O'erwhelmed with tears, my gentle Love was gone,
And I must wander exiled and alone.
I kissed her gentle lips. A loving spell
Of sweet communion followed—it could be
But short—and then we bade a long farewell.
O'erwhelmed with tears, my gentle Love was gone,
And I must wander exiled and alone.
XXIII.
Yet is it best that I should wander thus,
Far from the cherished spot where we have passed
Such happy days, since not again for us
Will be the joy that seemed too great to last.
Her father is too stern a man to know
Remorse's sting; his hatred will but grow.
Far from the cherished spot where we have passed
Such happy days, since not again for us
Will be the joy that seemed too great to last.
Her father is too stern a man to know
Remorse's sting; his hatred will but grow.
Each year my wandering feet shall hither stray,
Each year my heart will feel the pang anew.
And this one thought alone will cheer my way,
That she, my Love, is faithful still, and true.
Her father may forbid our union,
But still our hearts together beat as one.
Each year my heart will feel the pang anew.
And this one thought alone will cheer my way,
That she, my Love, is faithful still, and true.
Her father may forbid our union,
But still our hearts together beat as one.
XXV.
Lonely I stand, and silent gaze upon
The fading shore, where dwells my soul's twin-soul.
'Midst my companions I am still alone,
Less near to them than her, though billows roll
Between us two. Fast fades the distant strand.
Farewell my Love! Farewell my native Land!
The fading shore, where dwells my soul's twin-soul.
'Midst my companions I am still alone,
Less near to them than her, though billows roll
Between us two. Fast fades the distant strand.
Farewell my Love! Farewell my native Land!
XXVI.
England! dear land of liberty and peace,
Great art thou now, and greater still wilt be,
If but thy truth and honesty increase
As each revolving decade renders thee
In population greater. Let the name
Of Christian England fix thy future fame.
Great art thou now, and greater still wilt be,
If but thy truth and honesty increase
As each revolving decade renders thee
In population greater. Let the name
Of Christian England fix thy future fame.
The tale is told that when a foreign king
Would know what pow'r thy gracious Queen possessed,
That she could rule, with might unfaltering,
Her people, and by them be ever blessed;
She laid her hand upon a Bible near,
And, smiling, said: "That pow'r lies hidden here."
Would know what pow'r thy gracious Queen possessed,
That she could rule, with might unfaltering,
Her people, and by them be ever blessed;
She laid her hand upon a Bible near,
And, smiling, said: "That pow'r lies hidden here."
XXVIII.
Defender of the Faith we call our Queen,
And she has been that Faith's exemplar too.
Not all the ages of the past have seen
A sovereign more noble, pure, and true.
And she has kept, as well as monarch could,
Her childhood's promise: "Oh! I will be good."
And she has been that Faith's exemplar too.
Not all the ages of the past have seen
A sovereign more noble, pure, and true.
And she has kept, as well as monarch could,
Her childhood's promise: "Oh! I will be good."
XXIX.
And not without the help of that great Book
Could she have kept the promise of her youth.
Through all the backward years of history look—
These plainly prove that declaration's truth.
Kingdoms may rise, and, with unquestioned sway,
Monarchs may rule, and none their right gainsay,
Could she have kept the promise of her youth.
Through all the backward years of history look—
These plainly prove that declaration's truth.
Kingdoms may rise, and, with unquestioned sway,
Monarchs may rule, and none their right gainsay,
But, founded on another base than this,
That monarch's might shall surely pass away;
No kingdom is so strong that it can miss
This destiny. A premature decay
Has greeted, and will ever greet, that land
Whose weak foundation trembles in the sand.
That monarch's might shall surely pass away;
No kingdom is so strong that it can miss
This destiny. A premature decay
Has greeted, and will ever greet, that land
Whose weak foundation trembles in the sand.
XXXI.
The sword is mighty; by its bloody might
Empires have risen—risen but to fall.
A nation built in blood must ever fight,
Or lose its name and power. 'Tis not all
To conquer once; an enemy subdued
Waits but a happy chance for further feud.
Empires have risen—risen but to fall.
A nation built in blood must ever fight,
Or lose its name and power. 'Tis not all
To conquer once; an enemy subdued
Waits but a happy chance for further feud.
XXXII.
Nor will the nation nurtured by the sword,
If undisturbed by subjugated foes,
Remain in peace and rest; one murmured word
Of discontent will plunge it in the throes
Of fratricidal warfare; and not long
That word remains uncalled for by some wrong.
If undisturbed by subjugated foes,
Remain in peace and rest; one murmured word
Of discontent will plunge it in the throes
Of fratricidal warfare; and not long
That word remains uncalled for by some wrong.
XXXIII.
The page of history is blotted o'er
With tales of bloodshed. Not a single nation
Exists, but spent its greater life
With tales of bloodshed. Not a single nation
Exists, but spent its greater life