Bliss Carman, et al., eds. The World’s Best Poetry. 1904.
III. WarThe Cavaliers Song
William Motherwell (17971835)A
A sword of metal keene!
All else to noble heartes is drosse,
All else on earth is meane.
The neighyinge of the war-horse prowde,
The rowlinge of the drum,
The clangor of the trumpet lowde,
Be soundes from heaven that come;
And oh! the thundering presse of knightes,
Whenas their war-cryes swell,
May tole from heaven an angel bright,
And rouse a fiend from hell.
And don your helmes amaine;
Deathe’s couriers, fame and honor, call
Us to the field againe.
No shrewish feares shall fill our eye
When the sword-hilt ’s in our hand—
Heart-whole we ’ll part, and no whit sighe
For the fayrest of the land;
Let piping swaine, and craven wight,
Thus weepe and puling crye;
Our business is like men to fight,
And hero-like to die!