Elfin music : $b An anthology of English fairy poetry

English poetry; Fairy poetry, English

Cursed the insensate longing for life in the heart of a sick old man;
  But the King of Persia with all his armies marched on Masinderan.

  Many a day they marched in the sun till their silver armour was lead
  To sink their bodies into the grave, and many a man fell dead.

  And they passed the mouth of hell, and the shadowy country gray,
  Where the air is mist and the people mist and the rain more real than
      they.

  And they came to the fount of wonder, and forded the waters wan,
  And the King of Persia and all his armies marched on Masinderan.

  And they turned the rivers to blood, and the fields to a ravaged camp,
  Till they neared the golden faery town, that burned in the dusk as a
      lamp.

  And they shouted and shouted for joy, to see it stand so nigh,
  Given into their hands for spoil; and their hearts beat proud and high.

  The armies longed for the morrow, to conquer the shining town,
  For there was no death in the land, neither any to strike them down.

  And the hosts were many in numbers, mighty, and skilled in the strife,
  And they lusted for gold and conquest as the old king lusted for life.

  Till, gazing on the golden place, night took them unaware,
  And black and windy grew the skies, and black the eddying air—

  So long the night and black the night that fell upon their eyes,
  They quaked with fear, those mighty hosts; the sun would never rise.

  Darkness and deafening sounds confused the black, tempestuous air,
  And no man saw his neighbour’s face, nor heard his neighbour’s prayer.

  And wild with terror the mad battalions fell on each other in fight,
  The ground was strewn with wounded men, mad in the horrible night—

  Mad with eternal pain, with darkness and stabbing blows
  Rained on all sides from invisible hands till the ground was red as a
      rose.

  And, though he were longing for rest, none ventured to pause from the
      strife,
  Lest haply another wound be his to poison his hateful life.

  And the king entreated death; and for peace the armies prayed;
  But the gifts of God are everlasting, His word is not gainsayed.

  Gold and battle are given the hosts, their boon is turned to a ban,
  And the curse of the king is to live forever in conquered Masinderan.

                                                      A. MARY F. ROBINSON.




Men and Fairies.


THE APPROACH OF TITANIA.

PUCK.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

Elfin music : $b An anthology of English fairy poetry

English poetry; Fairy poetry, English

Cursed the insensate longing for life in the heart of a sick old man;
  But the King of Persia with all his armies marched on Masinderan.

  Many a day they marched in the sun till their silver armour was lead
  To sink their bodies into the grave, and many a man fell dead.

  And they passed the mouth of hell, and the shadowy country gray,
  Where the air is mist and the people mist and the rain more real than
      they.

  And they came to the fount of wonder, and forded the waters wan,
  And the King of Persia and all his armies marched on Masinderan.

  And they turned the rivers to blood, and the fields to a ravaged camp,
  Till they neared the golden faery town, that burned in the dusk as a
      lamp.

  And they shouted and shouted for joy, to see it stand so nigh,
  Given into their hands for spoil; and their hearts beat proud and high.

  The armies longed for the morrow, to conquer the shining town,
  For there was no death in the land, neither any to strike them down.

  And the hosts were many in numbers, mighty, and skilled in the strife,
  And they lusted for gold and conquest as the old king lusted for life.

  Till, gazing on the golden place, night took them unaware,
  And black and windy grew the skies, and black the eddying air—

  So long the night and black the night that fell upon their eyes,
  They quaked with fear, those mighty hosts; the sun would never rise.

  Darkness and deafening sounds confused the black, tempestuous air,
  And no man saw his neighbour’s face, nor heard his neighbour’s prayer.

  And wild with terror the mad battalions fell on each other in fight,
  The ground was strewn with wounded men, mad in the horrible night—

  Mad with eternal pain, with darkness and stabbing blows
  Rained on all sides from invisible hands till the ground was red as a
      rose.

  And, though he were longing for rest, none ventured to pause from the
      strife,
  Lest haply another wound be his to poison his hateful life.

  And the king entreated death; and for peace the armies prayed;
  But the gifts of God are everlasting, His word is not gainsayed.

  Gold and battle are given the hosts, their boon is turned to a ban,
  And the curse of the king is to live forever in conquered Masinderan.

                                                      A. MARY F. ROBINSON.




Men and Fairies.


THE APPROACH OF TITANIA.

PUCK.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Elfin music : $b An anthology of English fairy poetry

Elfin music : $b An anthology of English fairy poetry

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