SLEEP midst thy banners furled! Yes! thou art there, upon thy buckler lying, With the soft wind unfelt around thee sighing, Thou chief of hosts, whose trumpet shakes the world! Sleep. while the babe sleeps on its mother's breast. Oh! strong is night -- for thou too art at rest! Stillness hath smoothed thy brow, And now might love keep timid vigils by thee, Now might the foe with stealthy foot draw nigh thee Alike unconscious and defenceless thou! Tread lightly, watchers! Now the field is won, Break not the rest of nature's weary son! Perchance some lovely dream Back from the stormy fight thy soul is bearing, To the green places of thy boyish daring, And all the windings of thy native stream. Why, this were joy! Upon the tented plain, Dream on, thou Conqueror! -- be a child again! But thou wilt wake at morn, With thy strong passions to the conflict leaping, And thy dark troubled thoughts all earth o'ersweeping; So wilt thou rise, O thou of woman born! And put thy terrors on, till none may dare Look upon thee -- the tired one, slumbering there! Why, so the peasant sleeps Beneath his vine! -- and man must kneel before thee, And for his birthright vainly still implore thee! Shalt thou be stayed because thy brother weeps? -- Wake! and forget that midst a dreaming world, Thou hast lain thus, with all thy banners furled! Forget that thou, even thou, Hast feebly shivered when the wind passed o'er thee, And sunk to rest upon the earth which bore thee, And felt the night-dew chill thy fevered brow! Wake with the trumpet, with the spear press on! -- Yet shall the dust take home its mortal son. |