From the German of Freiligrath
"Lift me without the tent, I say,--Me and my ottoman,--I'll see the messenger myself!It is the caravanFrom Africa, thou sayest,And they bring us news of war?Draw me without the tent, and quick!As at the desert wellThe freshness of the purling brookDelights the tired gazelle,So pant I for the voice of himThat cometh from afar!"
The Scheik was lifted from his tent,And thus outspake the Moor:--"I saw, old Chief, the TricolorOn Algiers' topmost tower--Upon its battlements the silksOf Lyons flutter free.Each morning, in the market-place,The muster-drum is beat,And to the war-hymn of MarseillesThe squadrons pace the street.The armament from Toulon sailed:The Franks have crossed the sea."
"Towards the south, the columns marchedBeneath a cloudless sky:Their weapons glittered in the blazeOf the sun of Barbary;And with the dusty desert sandTheir horses' manes were white.The wild marauding tribes dispersedIn terror of their lives;They fled unto the mountainsWith their children and their wives,And urged the clumsy dromedaryUp the Atlas' height."
"The Moors have ta'en their vantage-ground,The volleys thunder fast--The dark defile is blazingLike a heated oven-blast;The lion hears the strange turmoil,And leaves his mangled prey--No place was that for him to feed;And thick and loud the cries,Feu!--Allah! Allah!--En avant!In mingled discord rise;The Franks have reached the summit--They have won the victory!"
"With bristling steel, upon the topThe victors take their stand:Beneath their feet, with all its towns,They see the promised land--From Tunis, even unto Fez,From Atlas to the seas.The cavaliers alight to gaze,And gaze full well they may,Where countless minarets stand upSo solemnly and gray,Amidst the dark-green massesOf the flowering myrtle-trees."
"The almond blossoms in the vale;The aloe from the rockThrows out its long and prickly leaves,Nor dreads the tempest's shock:A blessed land, I ween, is that,Though luckless is its Bey.There lies the sea--beyond lies France!Her banners in the airFloat proudly and triumphantly--A salvo! come, prepare!And loud and long the mountains rangWith that glad artillery."
"'Tis they!" exclaimed the aged Scheik."I've battled by their side--I fought beneath the Pyramids!That day of deathless pride--Red as thy turban, Moor, that eve,Was every creek in Nile!But tell me--" and he griped his hand--"Their Sultaun. Stranger, say--His form--his face--his posture, man?Thou saw'st him in the fray?His eye--what wore he?" But the MoorSought in his vest awhile.
"Their Sultaun, Scheik, remains at homeWithin his palace walls:He sends a Pasha in his steadTo brave the bolts and balls.He was not there. An Aga burstFor him through Atlas' hold.Yet I can show thee somewhat too.A Frankish CavalierTold me his effigy was stampedUpon this medal here--He gave me with othersFor an Arab steed I sold."
The old man took the golden coin:Gazed steadfastly awhile,If that could be the SultaunWhom from the banks of NileHe guided o'er the desert path--Then sighed and thus spake he--"'Tis not his eye--'tis not his brow--Another face is there:I never saw this man before--His head is like a pear!Take back thy medal, Moor--'tis notThat which I hoped to see."
Words in this poem 27
- purling n.
- The motion of a small stream running among obstructions; also, the murmur it makes in so doing. [See 3d Purl.]
- pant v. i.
- To breathe quickly or in a labored manner, as after exertion or from eagerness or excitement; to respire with heaving of the breast; to gasp. [Cf. F. panteler to gasp for breath, OF. panteisier to be breathless, F. pantois out of breath; perh. akin to E. phantom, the verb prob. orig. meaning, to have t]
- afar adv.
- At, to, or from a great distance; far away; -- often used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off. [Pref. a-.(for on or of) + far.]
- tricolor n.
- The national French banner, of three colors, blue, white, and red, adopted at the first revolution. [F. tricolore, drapeau tricolore a tricolored flag, fr. tricolore three-colored; tri (see Tri-) + L. color color.]
- armament n.
- A body of forces equipped for war; -- used of a land or naval force. [L. armamenta, pl., utensils, esp. the tackle of a ship, fr. armare to arm: cf. LL. armamentum, F. armement.]
- cloudless a.
- Without a cloud; clear; bright.
- clumsy a.
- Stiff or benumbed, as with cold. [OE. clumsed benumbed, fr. clumsen to be benumbed; cf. Icel. klumsa lockjaw, dial. Sw. klummsen benumbed with cold. Cf. 1st Clam, and 1st Clamp.]
- dromedary n.
- The Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), having one hump or protuberance on the back, in distinction from the Bactrian camel, which has two humps. [F. dromadaire, LL. dromedarius, fr. L. dromas (sc. camelus), fr. Gr. dram to run.]
- vantage v. t.
- To profit; to aid.
- turmoil v. t.
- To harass with commotion; to disquiet; to worry.
- allah n.
- The name of the Supreme Being, in use among the Arabs and the Mohammedans generally. [contr. fr. the article al the + ilah God.]
- avant n.
- The front of an army. See Van. [For avant-guard. Cf. Avaunt, Van.]
- countless a.
- Incapable of being counted; not ascertainable; innumerable.
- amidst prep.
- In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a la]
- vale n.
- A tract of low ground, or of land between hills; a valley. [OE. val, F. val, L. vallis; perhaps akin to Gr. Avalanche, Vail to lower, Valley.]
- ween v. i.
- To think; to imagine; to fancy. [OE. wenen, AS. w, fr. w hope, expectation, opinion; akin to D. waan, OFries. w, OS. & OHG. wan, G. wahn delusion, Icel. van hope, expectation, Goth. w, and D. w]
- luckless a.
- Being without luck; unpropitious; unfortunate; unlucky; meeting with ill success or bad fortune; as, a luckless gamester; a luckless maid.
- triumphantly adv.
- In a triumphant manner.
- salvo n.
- An exception; a reservation; an excuse. [L. salvo jure, literally, the right being reserved. See Safe.]
- artillery n.
- Munitions of war; implements for warfare, as slings, bows, and arrows. [OE. artilrie, OF. artillerie, arteillerie, fr. LL. artillaria, artilleria, machines and apparatus of all kinds used in war, vans laden with arms of any kind whi]
- deathless a.
- Not subject to death, destruction, or extinction; immortal; undying; imperishable; as, deathless beings; deathless fame.
- vest n.
- An article of clothing covering the person; an outer garment; a vestment; a dress; a vesture; a robe. [L. vestis a garment, vesture; akin to Goth. wasti, and E. wear: cf. F. veste. See Wear to carry on the person, and cf. Divest, Invest, Travesty.]
- awhile adv.
- For a while; for some time; for a short time. [Adj. a + while time, interval.]
- frankish a.
- Like, or pertaining to, the Franks.
- cavalier n.
- A military man serving on horseback; a knight. [F. cavalier, It. cavaliere, LL. caballarius, fr. L. caballus. See Cavalcade, and cf. Cavallier, Caballine.]
- steed n.
- A horse, especially a spirited horse for state of war; -- used chiefly in poetry or stately prose. [OE. stede, AS. steda a stud-horse, war horse, fr. stod a stud of breeding steeds; akin to G. stute a mare, Icel. stedda, sto, a stud. *163. See Stud of horses.]
- steadfastly adv.
- In a steadfast manner; firmly.
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
From the German of Freiligrath is in the public domain. This text is taken from Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers and Other Poems, Project Gutenberg ebook #10945; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: William Edmondstoune Aytoun, From the German of Freiligrath, in Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers (1849), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #10945, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/aytoun-lays/from-the-german-of-freiligrath.html, id L10320.
Form and metre
From the German of Freiligrath is 108 lines in 9 stanzas of 12 lines each. The metre is iambic tetrameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 90%). 93% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 7.1 syllables. 15 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 28% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
See other poems in iambic tetrameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 -A-A---B-B-- say · ottomanA · myself · caravanA · sayest · war · quick · wellB · brook · gazelleB · him · afar
- 2 -----ABCBC-A tent · moor · tricolor · tower · silks · freeA · placeB · beatC · marseillesB · streetC · sailed · seaA
- 3 -----A-B-B-A marched · sky · blaze · barbary · sand · whiteA · dispersed · livesB · mountains · wivesB · dromedary · heightA
- 4 -A-A---B-B-- ground · fastA · blazing · blastA · turmoil · prey · feed · criesB · avant · riseB · summit · victory
- 5 -A-A-BCD-DCB top · standA · towns · landA · fez · seasB · gazeC · mayD · up · grayD · massesC · treesB
- 6 -A-A---B-B-- vale · rockA · leaves · shockA · that · bey · france · airB · triumphantly · prepareB · rang · artillery
- 7 -A-A-B-C-C-B scheik · sideA · pyramids · prideA · eve · nileB · hand · sayC · man · frayC · moor · awhileB
- 8 -A-A-B-C-C-B home · wallsA · stead · ballsA · burst · holdB · too · cavalierC · stamped · hereC · others · soldB
- 9 -A-A-B-C-C-B coin · awhileA · sultaun · nileA · path · heB · brow · thereC · before · pearC · not · seeB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic tetrameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| "Lift me without the tent, I say,-- | 8 | ········ |
| Me and my ottoman,-- | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| I'll see the messenger myself! | 8 | ···/˘˘·/ |
| It is the caravan | 6 | ···/˘· |
| From Africa, thou sayest, | 6 | ·/˘˘·· |
| And they bring us news of war? | 7 | ······· |
| Draw me without the tent, and quick! | 8 | ········ |
| As at the desert well | 6 | ···/˘· |
| The freshness of the purling brook | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Delights the tired gazelle, | 8 | ˘/·/˘˘˘/ |
| So pant I for the voice of him | 8 | ········ |
| That cometh from afar!" | 6 | ·/˘·˘/ |
| The Scheik was lifted from his tent, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| And thus outspake the Moor:-- | 6 | ······ |
| "I saw, old Chief, the Tricolor | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| On Algiers' topmost tower-- | 7 | ·˘//˘/˘ |
| Upon its battlements the silks | 8 | ···/˘˘·· |
| Of Lyons flutter free. | 6 | ·/˘/˘· |
| Each morning, in the market-place, | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| The muster-drum is beat, | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| And to the war-hymn of Marseilles | 9 | ······˘/˘ |
| The squadrons pace the street. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| The armament from Toulon sailed: | 8 | ·/˘˘···· |
| The Franks have crossed the sea." | 7 | ····˘·· |
| "Towards the south, the columns marched | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Beneath a cloudless sky: | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Their weapons glittered in the blaze | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| Of the sun of Barbary; | 7 | ····/˘˘ |
| And with the dusty desert sand | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| Their horses' manes were white. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| The wild marauding tribes dispersed | 8 | ··˘/˘·˘/ |
| In terror of their lives; | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| They fled unto the mountains | 7 | ·····/˘ |
| With their children and their wives, | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| And urged the clumsy dromedary | 9 | ···/˘/˘·˘ |
| Up the Atlas' height." | 5 | ··/˘· |
| "The Moors have ta'en their vantage-ground, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| The volleys thunder fast-- | 6 | ·/˘/˘· |
| The dark defile is blazing | 7 | ··˘/·/˘ |
| Like a heated oven-blast; | 7 | ··/˘/˘· |
| The lion hears the strange turmoil, | 8 | ·/˘···/· |
| And leaves his mangled prey-- | 7 | ···/˘˘· |
| No place was that for him to feed; | 8 | ········ |
| And thick and loud the cries, | 6 | ······ |
| Feu!--Allah! Allah!--En avant! | 8 | ·/˘/˘·˘/ |
| In mingled discord rise; | 7 | ·/˘˘/˘· |
| The Franks have reached the summit-- | 8 | ····˘·/˘ |
| They have won the victory!" | 7 | ····/˘˘ |
| "With bristling steel, upon the top | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| The victors take their stand: | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Beneath their feet, with all its towns, | 8 | ········ |
| They see the promised land-- | 7 | ···/˘˘· |
| From Tunis, even unto Fez, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| From Atlas to the seas. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| The cavaliers alight to gaze, | 8 | ··˘/˘/·· |
| And gaze full well they may, | 6 | ······ |
| Where countless minarets stand up | 8 | ·/˘·˘/·· |
| So solemnly and gray, | 6 | ·/˘˘·· |
| Amidst the dark-green masses | 7 | ˘/···/˘ |
| Of the flowering myrtle-trees." | 8 | ··/˘˘/˘· |
| "The almond blossoms in the vale; | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| The aloe from the rock | 6 | ·/···· |
| Throws out its long and prickly leaves, | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Nor dreads the tempest's shock: | 6 | ···/˘· |
| A blessed land, I ween, is that, | 8 | ··˘····· |
| Though luckless is its Bey. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| There lies the sea--beyond lies France! | 8 | ········ |
| Her banners in the air | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| Float proudly and triumphantly-- | 8 | ·/˘·˘/˘˘ |
| A salvo! come, prepare! | 6 | ·/˘·˘/ |
| And loud and long the mountains rang | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| With that glad artillery." | 7 | ···˘/˘˘ |
| "'Tis they!" exclaimed the aged Scheik. | 8 | ··˘/˘··· |
| "I've battled by their side-- | 7 | ·/˘˘··· |
| I fought beneath the Pyramids! | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| That day of deathless pride-- | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Red as thy turban, Moor, that eve, | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| Was every creek in Nile! | 7 | ·/˘˘··· |
| But tell me--" and he griped his hand-- | 8 | ········ |
| "Their Sultaun. Stranger, say-- | 6 | ···/˘· |
| His form--his face--his posture, man? | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Thou saw'st him in the fray? | 6 | ······ |
| His eye--what wore he?" But the Moor | 8 | ········ |
| Sought in his vest awhile. | 6 | ····˘/ |
| "Their Sultaun, Scheik, remains at home | 8 | ····˘/·· |
| Within his palace walls: | 6 | ···/˘· |
| He sends a Pasha in his stead | 8 | ···˘/··· |
| To brave the bolts and balls. | 6 | ······ |
| He was not there. An Aga burst | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| For him through Atlas' hold. | 6 | ···/˘· |
| Yet I can show thee somewhat too. | 8 | ·····//· |
| A Frankish Cavalier | 6 | ·/˘·˘/ |
| Told me his effigy was stamped | 8 | ···/˘˘·· |
| Upon this medal here-- | 6 | ···/˘· |
| He gave me with others | 6 | ····/˘ |
| For an Arab steed I sold." | 7 | ··/˘··· |
| The old man took the golden coin: | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| Gazed steadfastly awhile, | 7 | ·˘/·˘˘/ |
| If that could be the Sultaun | 7 | ······· |
| Whom from the banks of Nile | 6 | ······ |
| He guided o'er the desert path-- | 8 | ·/˘··/˘· |
| Then sighed and thus spake he-- | 7 | ··˘···· |
| "'Tis not his eye--'tis not his brow-- | 8 | ········ |
| Another face is there: | 6 | ˘/˘··· |
| I never saw this man before-- | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| His head is like a pear! | 6 | ······ |
| Take back thy medal, Moor--'tis not | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| That which I hoped to see." | 7 | ····˘·· |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.