Fraternity-Testvériség, 1960 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1960-01-01 / 1. szám

FRATERNITY

9

ZAGONY I

By GEORGE HENRY BORER (OCTOBER 25, 1861)

(Hungarian rendition in the “Testvériség” section)

Bold Captain of the Body-Guard I’ll troll a stave to thee!

My voice is somewhat harsh and hard,

And rough my minstrelsy.

Eve cheered until my throat is sore;

For how Dupont at Beaufort bore;

Yet here’s a cheer for thee!

I hear thy jingling spurs and reins,

Thy sabre at thy knee;

The blood runs lighter through my veins,

As I before me see

Thy hundred men with thrusts and blozcs Ride down a thousand stubborn foes,

The foremost led by thee.

With pistol snap and rifle crack

Mere salvos fired to honor thee - Ye plunge, and stamp, and shoot, and hack The way your swords make free;

Then hack again —- the path is wide This time — ye gods! It was a ride,

The ride they took with thee!

No guardsman of the whole command Halts, quails, or turns to flee;

With bloody spur and steady hand They gallop where they see Thy daring plume stream out ahead O’er flying, wounded, dying, dead;

They can but follow thee.

So, Captain of the Body-Guard,

I pledge a health to thee!

I hope to see thy shoulders starred,

My Paladin; and we Shall laugh at fortune in the fray Whene’er you lead your well-known way To death or victory!