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Ranolf and Amohia

VII

VII

Astonished, shocked at such a tale,
At such a death for so renowned a man,
Low murmurs through the crowding hearers ran:
And when the storm had to the hills retreated,
Though still it rumbled, lumbering heavily
In the back chambers of the sky,
With downcast looks in treble circle seated,
And grief, if false yet truly counterfeited,
The summoned clansmen sung their song of wail:
One, standing in the midst the slow sad chaunt began:—

"Death, degrading, mournful, gloomy!
Death unfit for song or story,
Death for a dog—a cur—a slave
Not for the brave!—"
page 98 And all took up the chorus harsh and strong,
In perfect time discharging groan on groan,
While rolled a distant thunderpeal along
In kindred and scarce deeper tone:

"Death, O Death, how hateful, gloomy!
Death for a dog—a slave—a slave!"

Then rose the single voice in prouder strain,
Just as the lightning flashed again:

"Had you died the death of glory
On the field of battle gory,
Died the death a chief would choose,
Not this death so sad and gloomy—
Then with tuft and tassel plumy,
Down of gannet—sea-king's feather,
Gaily-waving, snowy-flecking,
Every deep-red gunwale decking—
Then a hundred brave canoes—
With elated
Warriors freighted,
Like one man their war-chaunt chiming,
Fierce deep cries the paddles timing,
While the paddles' serried rows
Like broad bird's wings spread and close—
Through the whitening
Waves like lightning
Had been darting all together,
Forward through the foam together,
All in quest of vengeful slaughter
Tearing through the tortured water!"
page 99 And from the dusky figures seated round,
With savage satisfaction in the sound—
A stern deep pride with sadness shadowed o'er,
Like volleys fired above a soldier's grave,
Rang out the chorussed thundering groans once more:

" Ha! a hundred brave canoes
Crowding, crashing.
Darting, plashing,
Darting, flashing through the wave/
Forward—forward all together,
All in guest qf foemen's slaughter,
They had deft the foamy water
Seeking vengeance for the brave
For the brave—the brave—the brave! "