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Eternally!



The pleasures and delights; which mask

In treacherous smiles life's serious task;

What are they; all;

But the fleet coursers of the chase;

And death an ambush in the race;

Wherein we fall?



No foe; no dangerous pass; we heed;

Brook no delay; but onward speed

With loosened rein;

And; when the fatal snare is near;

We strive to check our mad career;

But strive in vain。



Could we new charms to age impart;

And fashion with a cunning art

The human face;

As we can clothe the soul with light;

And make the glorious spirit bright

With heavenly grace;



How busily each passing hour

Should we exert that magic power;

What ardor show;

To deck the sensual slave of sin;

Yet leave the freeborn soul within;

In weeds of woe!



Monarchs; the powerful and the strong;

Famous in history and in song

Of olden time;

Saw; by the stern decrees of fate;

Their kingdoms lost; and desolate

Their race sublime。



Who is the champion? who the strong?

Pontiff and priest; and sceptred throng?

On these shall fall

As heavily the hand of Death;

As when it stays the shepherd's breath

Beside his stall。



I speak not of the Trojan name;

Neither its glory nor its shame

Has met our eyes;

Nor of Rome's great and glorious dead;

Though we have heard so oft; and read;

Their histories。



Little avails it now to know

Of ages passed so long ago;

Nor how they rolled;

Our theme shall be of yesterday;

Which to oblivion sweeps away;

Like day's of old。



Where is the King; Don Juan?  Where

Each royal prince and noble heir

Of Aragon ?

Where are the courtly gallantries?

The deeds of love and high emprise;

In battle done?



Tourney and joust; that charmed the eye;

And scarf; and gorgeous panoply;

And nodding plume;

What were they but a pageant scene?

What but the garlands; gay and green;

That deck the tomb?



Where are the high…born dames; and where

Their gay attire; and jewelled hair;

And odors sweet?

Where are the gentle knights; that came

To kneel; and breathe love's ardent flame;

Low at their feet?



Where is the song of Troubadour?

Where are the lute and gay tambour

They loved of yore?

Where is the mazy dance of old;

The flowing robes; inwrought with gold;

The dancers wore?



And he who next the sceptre swayed;

Henry; whose royal court displayed

Such power and pride;

O; in what winning smiles arrayed;

The world its various pleasures laid

His throne beside!



But O how false and full of guile

That world; which wore so soft a smile

But to betray!

She; that had been his friend before;

Now from the fated monarch tore

Her charms away。



The countless gifts; the stately walls;

The loyal palaces; and halls

All filled with gold;

Plate with armorial bearings wrought;

Chambers with ample treasures fraught

Of wealth untold;



The noble steeds; and harness bright;

And gallant lord; and stalwart knight;

In rich array;

Where shall we seek them now?  Alas!

Like the bright dewdrops on the grass;

They passed away。



His brother; too; whose factious zeal

Usurped the sceptre of Castile;

Unskilled to reign;

What a gay; brilliant court had he;

When all the flower of chivalry

Was in his train!



But he was mortal; and the breath;

That flamed from the hot forge of Death;

Blasted his years;

Judgment of God! that flame by thee;

When raging fierce and fearfully;

Was quenched in tears!



Spain's haughty Constable; the true

And gallant Master; whom we knew

Most loved of all;

Breathe not a whisper of his pride;

He on the gloomy scaffold died;

Ignoble fall!



The countless treasures of his care;

His villages and villas fair;

His mighty power;

What were they all but grief and shame;

Tears and a broken heart; when came

The parting hour?



His other brothers; proud and high;

Masters; who; in prosperity;

Might rival kings;

Who made the bravest and the best

The bondsmen of their high behest;

Their underlings;



What was their prosperous estate;

When high exalted and elate

With power and pride?

What; but a transient gleam of light;

A flame; which; glaring at its height;

Grew dim and died?



So many a duke of royal name;

Marquis and count of spotless fame;

And baron brave;

That might the sword of empire wield;

All these; O Death; hast thou concealed

In the dark grave!



Their deeds of mercy and of arms;

In peaceful days; or war's alarms;

When thou dost show。

O Death; thy stern and angry face;

One stroke of thy all…powerful mace

Can overthrow。



Unnumbered hosts; that threaten nigh;

Pennon and standard flaunting high;

And flag displayed;

High battlements intrenched around;

Bastion; and moated wall; and mound;

And palisade;



And covered trench; secure and deep;

All these cannot one victim keep;

O Death; from thee;

When thou dost battle in thy wrath;

And thy strong shafts pursue their path

Unerringly。



O World! so few the years we live;

Would that the life which thou dost give

Were life indeed!

Alas! thy sorrows fall so fast;

Our happiest hour is when at last

The soul is freed。



Our days are covered o'er with grief;

And sorrows neither few nor brief

Veil all in gloom;

Left desolate of real good;

Within this cheerless solitude

No pleasures bloom。



Thy pilgrimage begins in tears;

And ends in bitter doubts and fears;

Or dark despair;

Midway so many toils appear;

That he who lingers longest here

Knows most of care。



Thy goods are bought with many a groan;

By the hot sweat of toil alone;

And weary hearts;

Fleet…footed is the approach of woe;

But with a lingering step and slow

Its form departs。



And he; the good man's shield and shade;

To whom all hearts their homage paid;

As Virtue's son;

Roderic Manrique; he whose name

Is written on the scroll of Fame;

Spain's champion;



His signal deeds and prowess high

Demand no pompous eulogy。

Ye saw his deeds!

Why should their praise in verse be sung?

The name; that dwells on every tongue;

No minstrel needs。



To friends a friend; how kind to all

The vassals of this ancient hall

And feudal fief!

To foes how stern a foe was he!

And to the valiant and the free

How brave a chief!



What prudence with the old and wise:

What grace in youthful gayeties;

In all how sage!

Benignant to the serf and slave;

He showed the base and falsely brave

A lion's rage。



His was Octavian's prosperous star;

The rush of Caesar's conquering car

At battle's call;

His; Scipio's virtue; his; the skill

And the indomitable will

Of Hannibal。



His was a Trajan's goodness; his

A Titus' noble charities

And righteous laws;

The arm of Hector; and the might

Of Tully; to maintain the right

In truth's just cause;



The clemency of Antonine;

Aurelius' countenance divine;

Firm; gentle; still;

The eloquence of Adrian;

And Theodosius' love to man;

And generous will;



In tented field and bloody fray;

An Alexander's vigorous sway

And stern command;

The faith of Constantine; ay; more;

The fervent love Camillus bore

His native land。



He left no well…filled treasury;

He heaped no pile of riches high;

Nor massive plate;

He fought the Moors; and; in their fall;

City and tower and castled wall

Were his estate。



Upon the hard…fought battle…ground;

Brave steeds and gallant riders found

A common grave;

And there the warrior's hand did gain

The rents; and the long vassal train;

That conquest gave。



And if; of old; his halls displayed

The honored and exalted grade

His worth had gained;

So; in the dark; disastrous hour;

Brothers and bondsmen of his power

His hand sustained。



After high deeds; not left untold;

In the stern warfare; which of old

'T was his to share;

Such noble leagues he made; that more

And fairer regions; than before;

His guerdon were。



These are the records; half effaced;

Which; with the hand of youth; he traced

On history's page;

But with fresh victories he drew

Each fading character anew

In his old age。



By his unrivalled skill; by great

And veteran service to the state;

By worth adored;

He stood; in his high dignity;

The proudest knight of chivalry;

Knight of the Sword。



He found his cities and domains

Beneath a tyrant's galling chains

And cruel power;

But by fierce battle and blockade;

Soon his own banner was displayed

From every tower。



By the tried valor of his hand;

His monarch and his native land

Were nobly served;

Let Portugal repeat the story;

And proud Castile; who shared the glory

His arms deserved。



And when so oft; for weal or woe;

His life upon the fatal throw

Had been cast down;

When he had served; with patriot zeal;

Beneath the banner of Castile;

His sovereign's crown;



And done such deeds of valor strong;

That neither history nor song

Can count them all;

Then; on Ocana's castled rock;

Death at his portal came to knock;

With sudden call;



Saying; 〃Good Cavalier; prepare

To leave this world of toil and care

With joyful mien;

Let thy strong heart of steel this day

Put on its armor for the fray;

The closing scene。



〃Since thou hast been; in battle…strife;

So prodigal of health and life;

For earthly fame;

Let virtue nerve thy heart again;

Loud on the last stern battle…plain

They call thy name。



〃Think not the struggle that draws near

Too terrible for man; nor fear

To meet the foe;

Nor let thy noble spirit grieve;

Its life of glorious fame to leave

On earth below。



〃A life of honor and of worth

Has no eternity on earth;

'T is but a name;

And yet its glory far exceeds

That base and sensual life; which leads

To want and shame。



〃The eternal life; beyond the sky;

W

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