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Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Russia: Vol. XX. 1876–79.

Borodino

Borodino

By Anonymous

ONE foot in the stirrup, one hand on the mane,

One toss of white plumes on the air;

Then firm in the saddle, and loosened the rein;

And the sword-blade gleams bare!

A white face stares up from the dark frozen ground;

The prowler will shadow it soon:

The dead and the dying lie writhen around,

Cold and bright shines the moon!

There ’s laurels and gold for the living and proud:

But the ice-wreath of Fame for the slain;

Only Love turns away from the revelling crowd

To her own on the plain!