LXXII. Childe Harold at a little distance stood And view'd, but not displeased, the revelrie, Nor hated harmless mirth, however rude: In sooth, it was no vulgar sight to see Their barbarous, yet their not indecent, glee; And, as the flames along their faces gleam'd, Their gestures nimble, dark eyes flashing free, The long wild locks that to their girdles stream'd, While thus in concert they this lay half sang, half scream'd: (30) 1. (31) TAMBOURGI! Tambourgi! * thy 'larum afar * Drummer. 2. Oh! who is more brave than a dark Suliote, In his snowy camese and his shaggy capote? To the wolf and the vulture he leaves his wild flock, And descends to the plain like the stream from the rock. 3. Shall the sons of Chimari, who never forgive The fault of a friend, bid an enemy live? Let those guns so unerring such vengeance forego? 4. Macedonia sends forth her invincible race; For a time they abandon the cave and the chase: 5. Then the pirates of Parga that dwell by the waves, And teach the pale Franks what it is to be slaves, Shall leave on the beach the long galley and oar, And track to his covert the captive on shore. 6. I ask not the pleasures that riches supply, My sabre shall win what the feeble must buy; 7. I love the fair face of the maid in her youth, Her caresses shall lull me, her music shall sooth; 8. Remember the moment when Previsa fell, (32) 9. I talk not of mercy, I talk not of fear; He neither must know who would serve the Vizier : Since the days of our prophet the Crescent ne'er saw 10. Dark Muchtar his son to the Danube is sped, Let the yellow-hair'd* Giaours+ view his horse-tail with dread; When his Delhis§ come dashing in blood o'er the banks, How few shall escape from the Muscovite ranks! Yellow is the epithet given to the Russians. Horse-tails are the insignia of a Pacha. § Horsemen, answering to our forlorn hope. + Infidel. 11. Selictar!* unsheath then our chief's scimitar : LXXIII. Fair Greece! sad relic of departed worth! (33) Leap from Eurotas' banks, and call thee from the tomb? Sword-bearer. |